It was the final night of the medical conference and I was sitting outside in the sunshine on a breathtaking terrace overlooking a golf course, rolling hills of flora and the setting sun to the live music of a beautiful black woman singing Sade.
I've spent four full days working a medical conference with my girlfriend Kimberly, Executive Director, and found myself at home among the highly educated, Chiefs of Staff, from hospitals across the country.
Nine years later, I was in my comfort zone with this group of professionals. I easily slipped back into the dialogue that used to be my world and I enjoyed not only listening but adding to table conversations. You see, once upon a time, Kimberly and I were Physician Relations together. That is where our friendship began.
The sunshine, the music, the ambiance ... several seats away a petite physician with an accent who attended the conference all week said across the table, "You are so peaceful. Every time I have looked at you through this whole conference you have an aura of peace about you."
My eyes flew open! "Really?! Thank you." I was stunned by her statement.
Here's the thing ... hell was breaking lose at home. This moment instantly reminded me of going through the drive-thru at McDonalds when the girl shouted that I was "Fabulous!"
Peaceful.
My life is anything but peaceful right now, but I seem to get a strange calm that comes over me when life crumbles out of my control. It seems to be a coping mechanism that kicks in stronger than any drug I could take.
In the face of hell I seem to put off a fabulous and peaceful aura. To me it's creepy and it's me this happens to. As the heat in life is turned up, I slip into calm.
My calm is me directly plugged into God.