When I was probably ten years old, a friend of the family took me for a ride in a Cessna airplane.
It was my first experience in an airplane, and I instantly fell in love with the sky. Seeing the clouds from above for the first time is something I’ll never forget. After that flight, I flew with him any time I could, and eventually he let me take the controls and fly the airplane myself.
Since I was too young, I wasn’t able to pursue my passion for flying beyond the occasional flight with my friend. Unfortunately for me, my friend eventually accepted a new job flying for a commercial airline, which meant he wouldn’t be around anymore, and our weekend flights would have to come to an end.
And after a while, I forgot about my love of the sky…
Over the years I’ve thought of getting my pilot’s license, but it was never more than a passing thought. Afterall, I don’t own an airplane…why would I need a license to fly one?
Yesterday I had the same passing thought. Wouldn’t it be nice to go for a ride? Maybe slice through some clouds? Instead of letting the thought pass once again, I decided to check out what types of programs were available in the area. I found a local airport that offers flight instructions and certification for private pilots, so I sent them an email for more information. This morning I received a response, and while the program is incredibly expensive, it’s something I’m going to pursue…even if it takes me a long time to complete.
Instead of continuing to be nothing more than something I just wished for, I scheduled my first introductory flight for next week. After that I’ll be doing all the ground instructions and book work before beginning the flight instructions. Even if I can only take one lesson a month, I’ll be moving forward…and one day, maybe sooner rather than later, I’ll also knock out my goal of landing an airplane!
The moral of the story isn’t that you can fly an airplane if you want to, but that if there’s something you want out of life, it just takes a few small actions to set things into motion. Make a phone call, send an email requesting more information, do some research on the Internet to learn more about whatever it is you want to do, maybe find someone who is an expert, and ask to meet them. Whatever it is that you want to do, you can’t just let it continue to be a passing thought. You’ve got to strike when the iron is hot!
Even if the goal seems pretty lofty, if you are willing to work at it, eventually you’ll reach the finish line. If I’d have let the cost of the program discourage me (and trust me, it’s intimidating), I’d have continued to wish I could go for a ride in the clouds until the day I died.
Whatever you want from life, make it happen. You’d be surprised how simple it can be to get things going…but you have to be the initiator. No one is going to do that for you!
Filed under: Flight Lessons, Goals, Updates
