What to do when your plan falls apart...
July 22
5:47 a.m.
Cloudy and breezy, 77 degrees
In the Phoenix desert
Have you ever had one of those weeks where every plan suddenly comes with a plot twist?
We’re in wedding week here...
11 house guests are arriving starting today. The house is full of activity. And the to-do list has a life of its own.
But despite all the prep and the backup plans and the checklists neatly crossed off…
Real life always has a few surprises.
One guest had a medical emergency and can’t come.
Another fell and broke her shoulder—she was supposed to be the chauffeur for my 85-year-old mother-in-law.
The SUV we planned for our son and his family to use? Random electrical problem. Currently not drivable.
Now, it’s easy to feel the pressure rise (and trust me, it did.) Because this is not what we had penciled in to our carefully mapped out logistical plan.
But then something beautiful happened.
My sister-in-law stepped in, happily taking over chaffeur duties for “grandma.”
Friends and family rallied to fill the other gaps without being asked.
Everyone just… showed up, not because they had to, but because they wanted to.
And that’s the real power of Social Wealth.
It’s not just about knowing the “right” people.
It’s about being the kind of person who invests in relationships — the kind of relationship you don’t build overnight, but that shows up when it matters.
Wealth isn’t just what you can count. Sometimes, it’s who you can count on.
And here’s what else I’m learning all over again this week:
Time Wealth isn’t just about having your calendar all neatly organized.
It’s about building margin — so when life veers off-script, you have the capacity to respond instead of reacting in emotional outbursts that never really help.
And Emotional Wealth isn’t about keeping everything together.
It’s about staying open and receptive — even when things seem to fall apart.
It’s about choosing connection over control. Growth over grip.
Because things will sometimes go sideways. That’s life.
You can’t avoid those sideways moments and unexpected road blocks. So the question is — who will you be when they do show up?
Something to ponder in your quiet moments:
Where are you being invited to accept help (or offer it) when things don’t go as planned?
Or where could a little more margin — or a little more grace — change the way you handle the next unexpected event in your life?
Live for more,
Tom
P.S. I teach all this in the Personal Wealth System I created for members of my Beyond Wealth Club. It helps you create space for what actually matters — so you can build wealth that lasts, without blowing up the life you’ve already built.