Revamp Life Coaching

I took a plane to Dublin the other week. I’m not the best of fliers - call me irrational, but I get a bit panicky at the realisation that I’m in a big metal tube a mile above the hard ground or the cold sea, held up by nothing but an engine that’s exploding a highly flammable liquid. Hm.

The most nerve-wracking part for me is all that banking and swaying. Seeing the ground drop away beneath my feet or suddenly swing sideways gives me an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach, like anything could happen and I’m completely out of control.

I’d always thought that a plane only does that when it’s just taken off, to point it in the right direction for its destination. But I recently found out that planes almost never fly in a straight line. Pilots constantly adjust the course to make up for the way the wind and weather conditions buffer planes around in the sky, throwing them off course. The more frequently the pilot can recognise a change in direction and fix it, the smaller each correction is, and the more efficiently a plane can get to its final destination.

It’s easy to become disheartened if external events or things beyond your control throw you off course when you’re aiming at a goal. It can be tempting to feel that it’s just not “meant to be”, and give up. But if the pilot taking you and your fellow passengers to foreign climes did that, you’d never get to your destination. And then you’d be pretty miffed.

So be a skilful and calm pilot. Each time the wind buffers you, check your calculations, adjust your trim and correct your course. Yes, banking and swaying can feel uncomfortable. But when you recognise that it’s part of what gets you to where you’re going, you realise just how exciting it really is. So thank the wind for the opportunity to perfect your craft, enjoy the sensation and the beautiful view of the ground rolling beneath you and head for the horizon.