I have a friend who has pretty strong anxiety about flying. It’s actually not so much the flying but specifically the taking off and the landing. Proximity to the ground is the cause for most of the anxiety because hitting it in some unwanted fashion would be a real bummer. I’m not sure how she would deal with riding in a helicopter. With the liftoff being so instantaneous when compared with a plane, I’m not sure if it would be easier or harder to deal with. I’ve never been in a helicopter but my guess is that the sensation of it is very different. Since I’ve never been in a helicopter, I just assume that most people haven’t been either.
Despite that fact it seems as though people have a generalized desire for the Helicopter experience in their lives and work. The overwhelming feeling that I get (and sometimes have) is that success should require effort for sure but then you just lift off from there. While I recognize this is irrational, it does not stop people from wanting it. The lottery winner type story seems almost ingrained in our consciousness to the point that it overrides our rational brain. So it is time to embrace the fact that we need a runway. As humans, we’re generally not going to reach the heights of our potential in a “straight up” way.
As you go out into the world to make big things happen, realize that you need to build a runway. Reaching the highest heights is difficult when you’re running into trees, rocks and walls. You need to clear a path for yourself to take off. This may take a finding a new location or lots of elbow grease. Regardless, building a good runway is better for the process of your takeoff rather than expecting your plane to be a helicopter. The world tends to work in specific ways, so lay the groundwork and eventually you’ll be “ready for takeoff”.
Enjoy your flight!
Pete
Cautionary tales like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” seem to be less prevalent than in the past. Perhaps that is just my perception or my own implementation of life lessons to my kids. I remember exactly who told me this story and for what reason. It had the desired effect. In third grade, I would frequently “not feel well” in order to be sent down to the nurse’s office. Once my visits became frequent enough, the nurse recounted the story of the boy who cried wolf. My visits to her office became more legitimate.
Every year I hike part of the Appalachian Trail with my brother. It is one of my favorite events of the year. First, it is time spent with one of my best friends. Second, it is enjoyable to forget about comfort for two days and walk into the woods with only the supplies we can carry. It’s not army survival training by any stretch but it’s not a picnic either. We never bring a picnic basket but we always bring a Swiss Army Knife. The tools that you pack on any adventure say a lot about what you are expecting, what you can handle and whether or not you’ll survive.
One of my greatest concerns is the youth of today are under-prepared to deal with the challenges they will face. I fear that in many respects kids today are walking into the woods with picnic baskets. They are anticipating that everything will continue to be easy. The tests of life will be multiple choice. If they need it, they’ll get extra time to complete their work. Mommy or daddy will always be available to fix their problems. Unfortunately this picnic basket life that they are anticipating doesn’t exist. What happens when they find out that life is not always a picnic?
Huryk Unlimited 