The Thing About Flying, Growth & Success

According to Martin Luther King Jr., “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Over the past few decades, flying has revolutionized the way we travel. So, it bests other kinds of moving from one place to another because it is the fastest and saves the most time. However, it is easier to get lost when you are in the air compared to when you are on the ground. The reason for this is that no matter how difficult the terrain is, there are markers that you can use to find where you want to go, even if you have to do some guesswork in the process. On the contrary, there is no chance for guesswork when travelling by air!

While in flight, there are no clues that you can use to know where you currently are or which direction you should take – just the vast open space around you. So, without constant connection to navigational aids like Satellites, Air Traffic Control Centres, Radars and Specialized applications, it is likely to get lost mid-air, something that also often plays out in real life.

Like someone said, “life is in phases, men are in sizes.” As we apply ourselves to our surroundings, we tend to take quantum leaps both forward and upward, causing us to change our current “size” to a bigger one with each leap. In the process, we attract: Authority, Dignity, Fame, Honour, Influence, Knowledge, Position, Power, Prowess, Respect, Skill, Strong Network, Wealth and, in some cases, Satisfaction. As it stands, the height is where the real might lies!

However, we should know that it is quite lonely up there. This is because “Lift” (The force that causes something to be raised upward) requires tremendous energy, which a lot of people are not prepared to give, owing to laziness, a misplaced sense of entitlement or pride. As such, they don’t reach enviable heights of achievements in life. So they blame their landlords, teachers, bosses, the bad economy, government and even their own family for their condition. Some people, who take certain actions, reach lower levels of attainment than they are naturally capable of and just plateau there. Very few people keep gaining the altitudes that really matter.

Interestingly, the thing about flying, growth and success is that as we reach great heights of accomplishments in our personal and professional lives, it is easy to get lost in the process. Unconsciously, we start to enjoy the cruise until we become too full of ourselves and lose our focus altogether. This ought NOT to be. In fact, it is at this point in time when the interplay of forces that can help us to maintain our course and even soar higher, should become more and more relevant to us. In the words of Sydney J. Harris, “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” Like it or not, the higher you go in life, the more you will need help. It is dangerous to think that you can be self-sustaining and self-reliant up there in the air.

So, in order to reach our intended destination in life in one piece and remain globally relevant at the same time, we must maintain constant connection to the navigational aids of: Vision, Self-Discipline, Accountability, Openness to Learn, Tenacity, Service, Innovation, Collaboration, Gratitude and Kindness.

And, hopefully, we will get there!

Peter C. Uwadone