Life Lesson Learned Between Baggage Claim and Gate C12

No longer Taking the stairs?

Shannon’s April update

I’ve always been someone who takes the stairs. Literally and figuratively.

It’s just how I’m wired. I’ve always believed in hard work, doing the things most people won’t do, and pushing through even when it’s uncomfortable. To me, taking the stairs represents grit, dedication, and a willingness to choose the harder path because it builds character.

I even talk about it in my keynote speeches—when you’re faced with the choice between the stairs or the escalator, take the stairs. Every time. Because who you are is built in those little moments. I practice what I preach, too—at airports, I’m the one lugging everyone’s bags up the stairs while my kids laugh hysterically, gliding past me on the escalator or the moving walkway. I mean, come on, I’ve got to lead by example, right?

I’ve taken this “do hard things” mindset into everything I’ve done—from my Olympic training, to starting businesses, to raising my family. I believe deeply in the energy we put out into the universe. If I want something, I act like I’ve already achieved it. When I was skiing, I would literally repeat to myself, “I am an Olympic Gold Medalist,” and I trained as if that were already true.

But something happened recently that gave me pause.

Over Spring Break, during a conversation with friends, someone asked if always choosing the hardest path might mean I’m missing out on opportunities that are… easier. Lighter. Maybe even more joyful. That question hit me like a ton of bricks.

It made me think about my kids at the airport again. While I’m hauling everyone’s bags up the stairs, sweating and counting down to the top step, they’re laughing, looking around, and saving their energy for what’s next. And I realized—maybe I’ve spent so much of my life proving that I can do the hard things that I’ve skipped over opportunities that might have gotten me to my destination with a little more ease… and a lot more fun.

I’ve also caught myself judging others sometimes—people who seem to glide through life or success with ease. But what if they’re just choosing to see opportunities that I’ve missed, because I was too focused on proving myself the hard way?

I don’t think I’ll ever stop taking the stairs. That’s who I am. And I’m proud of that. But maybe, just maybe, I need to be open to taking the escalator once in a while. Not because I’m giving up—but because I’m learning to see the journey differently. And if I do hop on the escalator? You better believe I’ll be ready to hop off and start climbing again if I need to.

Here are 3 things I’m thinking about—and maybe you can too:

Am I choosing hard things because they help me grow—or because I’ve attached my worth to the struggle?
Sometimes the hard road is necessary. Other times, it’s just… hard. Knowing the difference is powerful.

What if ease isn’t the enemy?
What if the “easy way” is actually a smart, strategic path that still gets you where you want to go—with less burnout and more joy?

Am I missing the view while I’m grinding my way up the stairs?
Taking the escalator every once in a while might give me the perspective I didn’t know I needed.

I’ll always be a stair-taker. But now, I’m learning that strength also means knowing when to ride, when to rest, and when to laugh with my family on the way up.