Life On The Outside
Christopher Laney 
Who knows why most pilots felt the urge to learn to fly? Perhaps some grew tired of staring at cloud bellies and wanted to see their tops. Maybe others vowed to break free of the ground. For me, flight itself beckoned, the idea of soaring above the earth and feeling free. If I ever figure out how to fly without the plane, I will die happy.
But flying a plane is a lot of work. When students first learn, the whole process is overwhelming. We focus on yokes and rudders and throttles. We learn airspeeds: what is too slow, what is too fast. We learn altitudes and air space, the required distances from clouds. We work on coordinated turns and slips, how to lean the fuel mixture and when to turn on the carb heat and somewhere in that early process, we forget that we wanted to peer on clouds from above or to simply soar.
Before my checkride—an actual flying test to earn my license—the plane I’d flown during training had to go into the shop for an extended period. I borrowed a similar plane from an acquaintance who happened to be a flight instructor. We met at dawn to fly together so I’d be comfortable with any differences between his plane and the one I knew well.
At one point while we flew, he said, “Stop looking inside the plane so much; look outside more. Most of what can ruin your day is outside, not inside.”
He was right. I’d been concentrating too much on the gauges and avionics and not enough on the world outside the plane. Taking his advice, I made a switch that immediately felt more natural. Not locking in the gauges so much made flying more fun.
Afterward, I realized something while headed home. I realized that everything beautiful about flight was outside the plane as well—clouds laced with purple during a dawn lift off, the V formation of geese a half-mile off the left wing, the way the sun glints off the ripples in the lakes below.
The whole experience gave me pause as I examined my life and how I often drifted within my head from the present moment, wishing I were somewhere else or constantly planning my future. So much of what is beautiful about life is on the outside, not in our heads where we surround ourselves with worry, doubt, and fear. From that moment, I committed to get out of my head and:
- Listen to my friends and acquaintances as they spoke instead of rehearsing how I’d respond
- Admire the trees and flowers on my drives instead of rehashing to-do lists in my head
- Notice the bustle of life surrounding me—birds, squirrels, butterflies—instead of wishing I were somewhere else and in a different activity
So next time you find yourself with brow knitted while problems course through your mind, vow to get outside your head for a while. Most of what can ruin your day is inside that dark space. Life awaits on the outside.
Related Posts:
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:31AM | in Balance, Doubt, Flying, Guidance, Letting Go, Limitless Living, Living in the Present, Quiet Mind, Success | Share | 12 Comments | Email Article Tweet
Reader Comments (12)
Good advice, Chris - need to be reminded once in awhile!
Thanks, Sally. So good to know you're reading. Hope you are well.
Thanks babe, love it :)
You are most welcome, babe. :)
Chris, 3 bullet points to savor and embrace - every day! Thanks for the needed reminder!
I carried the weight of the world until one day I realized I could fly. I took off - leaving my burdens on the ground where I once stood. I circle the earth. Where do I want to land? The choice is mine. Who do I want to become?
Thank you Chris for the flying lessons!
You're welcome, Bob. See you at the gym!
You are one of those students who really teaches themselves, Stephanie. Love how far you've come with your writing.
Spent time last week watching the ocean, the sunlight on the waves and the blue sky above, and came to a similar conclusion. I enjoyed reading your experience. Nice job Chris.
The ocean is is so calming to me, second only to flying. Love being on the beach. Glad you enjoyed your time, Mark and thanks for the comment.
Its truly amazing what comes to us when we do look outside of ourselves. Some animal perhaps or insect or just the shape of something so common that we never have actually looked at it before. One of my favs has come differently in the last couple days. 2 dragonflies...one that beautiful powder blue and even more rare the florescent green with the tail of green and black. I dont think I have ever seen the 2 in the same area or time til now. I like your writings Chris..keep it up and enjoy the freedom it gives you.
Hi Becky. Your comment reminded me when I used to spend time at my grandfather's lake as a boy in the mountains of NC. Dragonflies always hovered around the cattails swaying by the lake's edge.
I'm glad you like the writing. Thanks for sharing your dragonflies.