Protecting Your Peace at 35,000 Feet
- Toni T. Gibson
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
by Toni Gibson, Contributing Writer
Peace is a universal language—timeless, powerful, and understood everywhere we fly. Leaders are celebrated for restoring peace to nations. Families send loved ones off with peace as a final farewell, and we extend it warmly during the holidays. But as flight attendants, our mission is more personal: we are the ultimate defenders of our own peace.
The Bible reminds us to “guard your heart” (Proverbs 4:23), because everything we do flows from it. In aviation, not every passenger, crew interaction, or situation deserves our energy— especially if it costs us our peace of mind. From delayed flights to unruly passengers, we must be selective about what we allow to disturb us.
I call myself a card-carrying protector of my peace, both on and off the aircraft. Whether it’s dealing with colleagues, passengers, or even family and friends at home, peace must remain the priority. While amicable solutions are always ideal, they should never come at the expense of your mental well-being. Sometimes what feels like a threat to our peace is simply a misunderstanding, fatigue, or stress in the moment. Wisdom is knowing the difference.
The skies are full of challenges: last-minute changes, mechanical delays, weather disruptions, and heightened security concerns. Add in the constant pressure of customer service, and it’s no wonder our mental health can feel under attack. That’s why flight attendants must act as gatekeepers, filtering out unnecessary drama and refusing to internalize every frustration that comes with the job.
Of course, not everything is within our control. Crew scheduling, long duty days, and passenger behavior can push us beyond our limits. But we do control how we respond. Staying calm, respectful, and sensible—even in turbulence, both literal and emotional—preserves the peace we need to thrive in this career.
Too often, we’re conditioned to “go off” when provoked, but confrontation rarely restores balance. Instead, we should lean on wisdom—and the Serenity Prayer captures it perfectly:
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
That wisdom matters in the skies. How many times have we stayed too long in a negative conversation, given too much of our energy to a draining passenger, or ended a trip feeling resentful? It happens more often than we’d like to admit. Many of those moments come from pouring ourselves into situations that were never deserving of our peace.
When we operate from a place of calm, we’re better flight attendants—and better people. Peace fuels patience with our passengers, strengthens teamwork with our crew, and restores balance after long days in the air.
Peace is not just a virtue; it’s a survival skill in aviation. At 35,000 feet, with diverse passengers, cultures, and expectations onboard, peace becomes both a celebrated achievement and an everyday goal. Protect yours fiercely. Choose your battles wisely, and give your mind, body, and spirit the safe haven they deserve—whether you’re in the skies or on the ground.
About the Contributing Writer
Toni has been a Dallas–Fort Worth–based flight attendant for the past four years and currently resides in Celina, Texas, with her husband, Dewayne, and their three children. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, she has called North Texas home for more than 20 years.
A graduate of Purdue University, Toni also holds an MBA in Business Administration from Keller. She is a proud member of Sigma Kappa Psi Sorority and brings a rich background in creative writing and journalism, having served as a staff writer for two independent newspapers. Her professional experience also spans elementary education, early childhood program leadership as a licensed director, mortgage banking, and healthcare administration.
Beyond her career, Toni shares a monthly self-reflective mantra newsletter on her social media platforms, inspiring others through words and perspective. She is also working toward her private pilot’s license and enjoys building flight hours whenever possible. In her free time, she finds joy in golf, line dancing, cooking, reading, hosting, and making lasting memories with her family while traveling the world.
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