𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

“𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.” — 𝙋𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙢 𝟯𝟬:𝟱

This morning, I took my second outdoor bike ride of the year — part of my preparation for the 2026 TD Five Boro Bike Tour, a 40-mile ride through New York City on May 3rd.

As I headed toward the lake and ocean, the morning sunlight struck me immediately — as if God were welcoming me into a new season of life and possibility. That long winter of cold and darkness seemed to quickly fade away. And as I alternated between riding with and against the wind, I felt that everything in my life was just right.

That feeling reminded me of a eulogy delivered by former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for President George H.W. Bush.

Mulroney had recalled a quiet moment in Kennebunkport, Maine in September 2001 — nine years after Bush had lost his bid for a second term. He told Bush he sensed that the deep disappointment of that loss had given way to something new — a genuine contentment and joy for where life had brought him.

Bush paused, then smiled: “Yes Brian, you’ve got us pegged just right.”
He then shared an aviation term from his days as a Navy pilot in WWII — 𝐂𝐀𝐕𝐔 — 𝐂𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝, those conditions pilots hope to experience whenever they fly.

What makes that moment powerful isn’t just the phrase. It’s the journey it took to get there. The years after that defeat were hard — disappointment, uncertainty, and the slow interior work of rediscovering purpose and meaning. And yet, over time, clarity returned. Inner peace returned.

Many of us are searching for these CAVU moments — especially those like me living in the Fourth Quarter of life. Moments when the clouds lift, the path clears, and something deep within calls us home to be the person God always intended us to be.

In my work as an Executive Coach and Bereavement Minister, I witness this again and again. What Ignatian spirituality calls desolation — those seasons of darkness — is so often followed by consolation. Even after loss, setbacks, and long winters of uncertainty, clarity and inner peace can return.

And what helps bring us there? The 3 F’s!
Faith — grounding us in something deeper.
Family — reminding us we are not alone.
Friends — walking beside us when the road feels long.

Because CAVU moments don’t come from a life without struggle. They come from a life that has moved through it — and arrives, even if just for a moment, at a place of peace.

So how about you? When have you experienced a CAVU moment — and what helped you get there?

Wishing my clients, fellow coaches, and friends the gift of CAVU moments — and God’s abundant blessings along the way.

Dr. K 😎 🙏 ❤️
#executivecoaching #careercoaching #spiritualcoaching #griefcoaching