Maybe it's because I'm a born and bred Michigan boy, or maybe it is my love for all things motorized and mechanical, but I find incredible power in the words of the late Mr. Henry Ford. Did you know that Mr. Ford failed hundreds of times before achieving success with the Ford Motor Company? I wonder how he kept himself motivated when adversity and hard times struck. He was a visionary, an incredible thinker, and did not take "no" for an answer. Henry lived a simple life as a child, raised as the son of a farmer in what is now Dearborn Michigan. Even as a young boy, Henry was fascinated with all things mechanical. He built water wheels, fixed watches and was mesmerized by steam engines of all sorts and sizes. His parents encouraged his mechanical tinkering and told him that he could be whatever he wanted to be - as long as he was willing to work for it.
Think for a moment about the power of his simple words: When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. I wonder what might have become of the automobile had the young Mr. Ford given up on his dream of the "horseless carriage." The modern automobile as we know it might be quite different today. It might not ever have existed at all.
It is easy to give up when we seem to be working against the wind. In aviation, the wind equals resistance. There are four forces working against an airplane: lift, thrust,weight and drag. In order for a plane to keep on course (and stay in the air), the pilot must constantly monitor for changes in these four areas. This is not intended to be a tutorial on the physics of flight, so I will stop right there and ask you to just consider this simple concept: ARE YOU WORKING AGAINST THE WIND, OR WITH IT?
Often times life seems to be working against us.The wind seems to be blowing directly in our faces. Nothing seems to go right. The plans we make don't work out. We get told no when we with think we should be told yes. We often question ourselves and consider giving up - be that with a health concern, a new job (or lack thereof), relationship problems, financial issues, sobriety, depression, worry, or just about anything else. It is easy to throw in the proverbial towel and say it just wasn't meant to be...maybe I'm just not cut out for _______ (fill in the blank). It is all too easy to find a variety of excuses and justifications to why we cannot do a certain thing.
The problem is not so much the WIND, but learning to overcome the initial takeoff. Once you fight like hell and get to a comfortable cruising altitude, it is then just a matter of making minor adjustments to stay on course. It is the taking off that is hard. The rest is just monitoring all gauges, keeping an eye on the weather, and enjoying the ride. And so it is with life.
My best friend since childhood knows all about this. He began his journey into becoming a pilot when he was around 18 years old, attending college and working at a small airport. He would tell me how he dreamed of one day becoming an attorney, practicing aeronautical law and owning his own plane. Guess what? Today he is a successful attorney and he does own his own plane; not just any kind of plane, but a small one-seat acrobatic plane. He is one of those guys that does flips and figure eights thousands of feet in the air on purpose. While this kind of flying (or flying in general) would be way out of my own comfort zone, my friend tells me it is actually quite easy..."it's just physics" he says. According to my ol' buddy, stunt flying is simply working with the wind, not against it. He's told me on countless occasions that scariest parts of flying his little stunt plane are the TAKEOFF and the LANDING. Pushing his plane into the sky requires a measure of confidence and reliance on his equipment. He needs to figure out exactly what the wind is doing, rev up his engine and fight his way into the sky. Once he is airborne, he again relies on his own skills as a pilot, reads his gauges to keep him on course and uses the wind to his advantage.
He has told me countless stories about having a great flight followed by white knuckle landing. This particular plane of his does not allow him to "spot" his landing. In essence, he cannot see over the front of his plane because he is sitting so low in the cockpit. He must rely on his coordinates and his gauges, ever watching for the tiniest changes in wind. He tells me that "it's just a trust thing...I know my plane is mechanically sound. I know all my gauges work, and I know that the landing might be rough...but I know I will be okay if I just trust that all will be well."And so it is with faith in God that we will get to our destination, safely, IF WE TRUST HIM.
Here is what I ask of you today: DO NOT BE SCARED OF STRONG WINDS. THINGS ARE OFTEN TIMES MOST DIFFICULT IN THE BEGINNING. Under no circumstances should you ever give up. Keep on fighting the wind until you have come to the place where you want to be. Too many people give up on their dreams RIGHT BEFORE they have achieved a comfortable cruising altitude. DO NOT LET THIS BE YOU! Be inspired. Get into the business of living. Keep on fighting for your rightful place in the sky, then adjust accordingly. JUST FOR TODAY.
If you have enjoyed this post, I welcome you to subscribe. You can subscribe by entering your email or by clicking on the orange RSS button at the top of the page. You can also click the Google +1 button to follow as well!
Be blessed and keep chopping wood and carrying water.
~ Paul
If you would like to know more about the book that inspired this blog, you can click on any of the links below:
No comments:
Post a Comment