I love flying.
That feeling of soaring high above the clouds and looking down upon the earth from 30,000 feet is nothing short of amazing.
Every single time I am on an airplane I'm in awe.
We are fortunate to live in a place that is advanced enough to offer us so many conveniences.
We have more things than ever that make our lives easier, yet we take so many of them for granted.
We go about our lives assuming that when we flip the light switch, the power will come on. When we turn on the faucet, the water will flow. When we push the button to start our car, the ignition will turn over. When we call, our loved ones will always be there, even if we don't talk to them for weeks/months/years.
Or when we are on that airplane, the ride will be smooth and we'll reach our destination.
But sometimes, we hit turbulence.
The ignition doesn't turn over when we hit that button. Panic sets in for just a few minutes until we google what to do or call our brother (true story folks, this happened to me). A new car battery later, life is back to normal again.
Just a blip. The fasten seatbelt sign is turned back off again.
Sometimes the turbulence is more pronounced.
We have a falling out with family or someone who means a lot to us.
We lose a job, or an amazing boss who inspires us moves on and there's fear of the change that is coming our way.
Or worse, we lose a loved one and there's a void in our life that we are unsure how to fill.
The fasten seatbelt sign comes back on. And it may be on for awhile this time.
We hold on tight, trying to ride out the bumps and the fear. We grasp the arms of our seats, wishing for this part to be over.
The thing is, we can't just sit still through the turbulence.
It's not easy.
The easy way is to just close our eyes and ride it out. To let ourselves believe that the tough things are just happening to us and we can't change them.
In an airplane, we can't get up and move. We have to put our faith and trust in the pilot to rise above it and find us a smoother path.
But in life, when things get turbulent, we are the pilot. We have to put that faith and trust in ourselves to find our own smoother path.
We have to push our way forward, despite the bumps and the fact that it's harder to walk a straight line because the ground is shifting beneath our feet.
We have to learn from each experience and determine what we can take from it to grow as a person.
We have to look at each challenge and see how it can make us more grateful for the wonderful things in our lives that we too often take for granted.
With every challenge we push our way through, we build that confidence in our ability to overcome the next one. We shift our perspective just a little bit with each bump in the road.
And one day, we wake up and realize that we can handle almost any challenge that comes our way.
The turbulence no longer scares us, it's just part of life. It's still not easy, but we know what to do when it happens.
I may never get comfortable with the feeling of actual turbulence on an airplane, but the turbulence in my life has become much more manageable through the years.
I'm grateful for the hard times because they truly have shaped who I am today.
I'm grateful for the bumps in the road, for they have taught me to watch where I step.
And more than anything, I'm grateful for the opportunities in my life to fly high above the earth and see that amazing view.
So bring on the turbulence...
I'm ready.
Are you?