“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.” – Eleanora Duse

No matter where you are or what problems you face, rest assured that the sky is always blue. I know what you’re thinking, what does the sky being blue and problems have in common?

Allow me to elaborate. During an interstate plane flight this week, it was raining and cold upon our departure – yet sunny and warm at our arrival. For the first time in years, I noted how amazingly blue and calm the sky was above the clouds. I recalled from high school geography that the sky is always blue; seeing it again from my window seat reaffirmed this truth as an analogy for life.

In order to gain an alternative perspective on your problems, rise above them. Albert Einstein said, you can’t solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it. I interpret this to mean we cannot use the same mind to solve our problems, since that same mind created the problem to begin with.

Focus on higher states of thought to transcend your problems. Using air travel as an analogy for life, let’s examine each phase to draw sense to our lives:

• Taxiing on the runway
• Take-off
• Flying at altitude
• Initial descent
• Landing approach
• Landing

1.       Taxiing on runway

There are times when we feel grounded or stagnant. Life doesn’t seem to be going in the right direction. Each time we attempt to take-off, our efforts are impeded as frustration ensues.

Rather than perceive this period as negative, see it as an opportunity to gain momentum and traction. Build a strong foundation while on the ground. The urgency to speed up aspects of our lives gives rise to the detriment of learning the valuable lessons contained within each experience.

Harness your creativity during this time. Harness your emotional outlook for the road ahead. This may be a pivotal phase in your life’s journey so don’t feel compelled to speed it up.

2.       Take-off

The time has come and you’re ready to soar above the clouds. You’ve spent enough time on the ground and you’re now ready to take to the skies. To me, taking to the skies implies moving forward and upward to higher thoughts.

The process may or may not have a physical manifestation at this time, though we note events and circumstances beginning to change for the better. We may have a deeper connection and understanding of something that was once foreign – much like learning a new language.

Use this period to grow mentally and emotionally. Embrace the success that comes with this growth. You’ve earned your stripes and ready for the phases that follow.

3.       Flying at altitude

At this level, you have mastered a life lesson. You are one with the process. If you’ve sat near a window on an airplane flying above the clouds, you’ll note there’s very little movement of the plane’s wingspan. Despite the plane travelling at great speed, there is little disturbance to the structure of the plane, due to its design.

The same principle applies in your life. When you’ve gained traction, there is very little that can derail your progress. The process you once found challenging is now firmly cemented – there’s a reassuring comfort which accompanies the mastering of something once impossible.

4.       Initial descent

This period may involve changing direction in life. You may have been in a relationship or career that was once rewarding; yet no longer serves you. It hasn’t run its course – rather you’ve learned the lesson needed to grow emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

The initial descent heralds a readiness to move in a new direction. You may not know what path you’ll take next until you embrace your new situation.

The analogy to the plane descending signifies the desire to connect with the ground so as to map out the next phase of your life. This may be an exciting period which brings exciting changes and possibly new relationships. Don’t be afraid when the old begins to fall away – trust that it is doing so to make way for the new.

5.       Landing approach

By now you’re ready to make contact with the ground. You see the path ahead, marked clearly as runway lights would for an incoming plane to land.

To assure a smooth landing, brace yourself for initial impact while you acquaint yourself with the new direction. This can be physically and emotionally taxing. Once contact is made however, the transition is quietly imminent.

Bracing alerts you to being ready and willing to take on the new life ahead. You remain in a readied state of perpetual excitement to the unknown. This phase should not be met with anxiety, as doing so brings with it unwanted feelings and events. Stay focussed and prepared for the path ahead – it’s coming soon.

6.       Landing

The much anticipated landing. This denotes the best part of the journey as you transition to your new life. Taking the example of plane flight, airline pilots advise us this is the phase when things can go wrong. Landing a large aircraft from the sky takes precision, experience and skill.

This is also true in our own lives. Hit the ground running implies transitioning to your new life plan or goal with enthusiasm, passion and excitement. It represents taking to your new plan with the same excitement a child does when they receive a toy. This phase is exciting, fresh and brings with it a revitalise sense of new beginnings. You’re ready to take on whatever you’ve been wishing in your life with purpose and meaning.

While life may resemble a plane flight, know that the highest point of the journey is breaking through the clouds. Past the clouds lie the bluest skies – despite what lies below.

Reaffirm that your life is a journey with ascents and descends. These phases do not represent good or bad periods, rather cyclical periods of growth and regeneration. Life is cyclical in nature. When faced with an unwanted event, rise above your pain or sorrow and think in terms of a plane above the clouds.

Recognise a higher perspective to looking upon such events. Einstein reminds us in his quote that we need to create a NEW mind in order to see the problem with fresh eyes.

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