No Shows

Yesterday I had a "no-show". This happens pretty rarely to me now. It is most common with new patients, presumably who suddenly feel afraid of the unknown and can't get themselves to do it. Otherwise, most of my regulars simply forget. Occasionally, I have an absent minded patient who regularly fails to show. I then make sure to send email reminders or make phone calls, if necessary.

Yesterday I fell into an old pattern of feeling pissed and personally affronted before I remembered my "new learnings" about no-shows. A few years ago, I came to the discovery that every time someone did not show up, I learned something new about my craft. Rather than being periods of frustration, they were opportunities to quiet my mind and let some percolating thought bubble up to the surface.

This discovery was such a tremendous turnaround. No longer wrought with self-pity or fury, instead no-shows were moments of brilliant insight and awakenings. When a no-show would occur, I would immediately ask myself: "Well, what I am supposed to learn right now?"

In other words, no-shows are spiritual moments of epiphany. Yesterday, temporarily, I forgot this. I started to write an email in my head to the new patient about how annoying this was to me. Of course, I never wrote it or sent it. But then I suddenly remembered that this was a moment to be awake. I took a walk and came upon eight feathers. As I wrote in an earlier post, I have come to recognize these as symbols of future business and success. So, one no-show turned into eight opportunities. Now that's a positive step!