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FLY LIKE AN EAGLE/ WALK AND TALK WITH ANGELS by John Fanuzzi John's Archives John's Articles for Massage Today |
Golden Words by John Fanuzzi From the Field by Lynda Solien-Wolfe Stretching the Point by Aaron Mattes Spa Trend Watch by Nancy Griffin Multi Disciplinary Approaches to Sports Massage by Mike McGillicuddy Wellness: The Real Thing by Debra Brooks The CranioSacral Perspective by Dr. John Upledger Up Close and Professional by Arlene Alpert The Massage Adventure by Steve Capellini Fasting for Rejuvination by Dr. John Carp From the Chair by Ralph Stevens Thoughts and Insights on Spa Equipment by Richard Eidson |
 In
the time since my last UCP article, the world has certainly changed,
including my own. On September 11th I was up in the air flying from
Atlanta to Los Angeles with my son traveling from one trade show
to another show in Anaheim. Suddenly the pilot announced that all
air traffic control was suspended and all aircraft in the USA had
to land at the nearest airport, which turned out to be Austin, Texas.
I looked at my son and said, This feels very strange. Something
real bad is happening." We got news on the ground and were
told to get our baggage and leave.
Immediately the ramifications of the event caught me looking ahead into a very bleak future, let alone just wondering if we would even make it back home. It quickly changed my priorities. We finally got home six days later on Sunday. The next Monday I was back at work after almost two weeks away . I was depressed like most Americans and feeling that all the years of work in our company and industry may not ever see the full fruits and rewards of its hard work. It was hard to even think about building tables. Emails had been flying and the phone was busy. I had a colleague call and asked me to lobby to cancel the coming ISPA show in Palm Springs. At that time I was in agreement with him to cancel the show. I was in no mood to travel. My next phone call, however, inspired me to get myself together and look at fear in the eye and attack it. The following letter (which many of you may have seen) was a result: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE by John Fanuzzi September 19, 2001 Dear friends: I am writing this timely message to share my feelings with my friends, family and customers in the wake of the recent disaster. At the time of the event I was in an airplane from Atlanta to Los Angeles that was forced to land in Austin, Texas with the shocking news when we landed. It was scary. Not only the terrorism on our soil but the uneasiness of economic collapse, war and a new way of life. Though this tragedy has changed all of our lives, we must hold together and be positive about the immediate future in this industry. As a businessman I have judged the economy by how busy the airlines are. Overnight my sense of security had crumbled. Everything from taxis to hotels to destination spas, from industry trade shows to restaurants have been affected. Yes I had good reason to be concerned, but a greater concern for how US citizens would respond. I received a phone call from a colleague yesterday and in our conversation he summoned me to support postponing the ISPA show in Palm Springs next month because of the possibility of poor attendance and people being afraid to fly. In the conversation I agreed with him and was also very nervous about traveling away from home. Shortly after I had a talk with a good friend from NYC who listened to me in my concern for not attending and reminded me of the positive strength he had seen in me before and helped me see clearly that I was not the John that he knew last week. This was like pouring a cold bucket of water over my head. It woke me up!!! In understanding the principle of faith, if we want this industry to recover, we must work together by holding on to our goals and mission. We must be as fearless as George Washington or Joan of Arc. We MUST make this show a Success. I have many times been in a place of panic when cash was tight and orders were low. The immediate reaction is uneasiness and fear. I had to reset my vision and psyche myself out to be positive. It has never failed me when I have had faith. In fact I have incorporated the mantra " The Light of God Never Fails" on my company paychecks. The testing always comes when things are seemingly dire. I realized that that old tester was looking me in the eyes again -- this time with the ultimate panic. I must witness to the fact that the Light has never failed and I must remember that I must remain a pillar of hope in this troubled time. I have received several e-mails in the past few days and one in particular from a good friend which said: Do you know why our founding fathers picked the EAGLE as our symbol? Because the EAGLE is the only bird that is not afraid to fly in a storm... Are we not in the biggest storm imaginable? We cannot fail our country or industry. We must be practical but we must also be positive. We must travel to our trade shows and not be moved by the bully. Is not our industry an icon of healing, spirituality, and serving? With a positive mission and total trust we are invincible and undefeatable in everything. We need all of our industry—vendors, spa owners, therapists, and teachers to stand together and strong. I encourage everyone to not only attend but to go against the grain and make this the best meeting and unity that we have ever had. Let us be a fiery example to other industries and our nation whom we all touch. Many great men throughout history have discovered that in times of the greatest adversity there lies an opportunity for a victory with equal or greater magnitude. Only Victory, John Fanuzzi The letter wound up traveling far and wide and reached the PR team at ISPA in perfect timing to be sent out to their entire mailing. The ISPA conference was great—you had to be there. I had been asked to be on a panel where a town meeting with the audience was arranged. There was such a feeling of unity. Everyone had the opportunity to speak out about how our industry can be instrumental in keeping the momentum of our industry and our nation since we touch everyone. (The CD is available from ISPA )
One thing we have experienced is that our industry
is still strong because people in times of stress need some
hands on touch. Sales have been steady with an increase over
last year. |
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