3 Lessons from Flying in an Airplane

My family and I are taking a vacation this week.  We are traveling from the West Coast back home to the East Coast.  I thought I would interrupt my writing schedule with some fresh insights about life that I learned while flying with Southwest Airlines. 

Lesson Number One

Every time I get on an airplane I cannot help but mentally prepare for the worst.  I imagine what I would do if the plane was hijacked.  I take my military training and run through different scenarios.  I could go into details here but I will spare you.  Also, as we taxi down the runway and I watch the wings bounce, I cannot help but imagine them as very brittle and under a lot of stress.  What would it look like if one just fell off in flight?  I am calm, but I often sense the fragility of life.  That’s just it.  Lesson number one is that life is fragile. 

Lesson Number Two

As we were flying, we experienced some turbulent air.  It was not too bad, just a little bumpy.  This reminds me of life.  Sometime the wind gets taken out from under your wings or it kicks up a notch or two and causes some vibrations.  This can be a scary experience.  If you brace yourself and ride through it, the wind will settle.  This is lesson number two.  Life gets bumpy for everybody, just ride it out and reach your destination.

Lesson Number Three

Nobody wants this but if you fly enough, you will experience a delayed flight.  We were delayed in Chicago, Illinois for about an hour.  This is not a big deal for me, but for some people it is.  Sometimes the plane needs some work done on it.  To me it is better to wait around than to get on a plan that will crash.  People who become frantic have been trained by our have it now society.  We as a culture do not know how to wait anymore.  Here is the lesson—expect delays in life and make the best use of your down time.

The Bottom Line

If you put it all together, you get something like this.  Life is fragile and it gets bumpy.  Ride out the bumps to your destination and expect delays.  When you do get delayed, make the best use of your down time.  It takes time to get from where you are to where you want to be.  Take a flight and Break your Nature.

How to Offer Accountability Without the Pain

One thing that I learned in my Life Coach training at Life Breakthrough Academy, is that it is better to ask for permission than for forgiveness.  This is true, and especially so when you aim to hold others accountable.  There is one caveat though.

My Experience at Job Corps

As a Residential Advisor at Job Corps, I learned that a contract is only as binding as the heart of the individual who signed it.  They may sign the contract, but if they cannot read, do not understand it, or have no intentions of abiding by the agreement, then any effort on the part of the enforcer will be useless. 

If one desires true obedience, the hearts must be bound together. 

Any obedience that lacks the element of the heart is only temporary.

My Personal Struggle

Under the tutelage of my lovely mother, I learned to be bluntly honest.  My mom does not mince her words, and she always took pride in speaking the truth.  Along with this, I inherited by genetics and training my father’s lack of emotion.  I find it difficult to empathize as much as I would like to.  If you combine these two character traits, I can sometimes seem harsh and cold. 

I pray for God to morph these two character traits and use them for his glory.  In the right way, my honesty can be used to provide guidance.  Also, my lack of emotion can deescalate a situation and maintain peace in conflict.  John Ives, a friend of quite some time back, made a statement about tact that I will never forget.  He said, “You need to give the shot of medicine, and make it as painless as possible.”  In other words, people need to be rebuked and hear the truth at times, but it needs to be with discretion and as painless as possible.  This does not mean that it won’t hurt.

One way to reduce pain is to ask for permission to administer the shot.   

So in holding others accountable, it is important to receive their permission to offer the rebuke. 

The Bottom Line

In perspective, accountability is not as painful as anticipated.  The lack of clear guidance is more painful in the long run.  Although, it definitely helps when you are the enforcer, to have the hearts of your partners and ask their permission to hold them accountable. 

Nick Massey is a Life Coach, Speaker, and Writer.  To read more from Nick Massey, or to schedule him for a Life Coaching session, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at http://www.coachmassey.com. © 2014 Nick Massey