I took this photograph from the passenger window of a Cessna 172. What you see in the cleft between the mountains is not clouds. Rather, it’s smoke from the ongoing Pioneer Fire that’s responsible for burning more than 150,000 acres in southwest Idaho.

Outbound flight from Boise to McCall

When I was in the corporate world I designed and delivered a workshop titled “It’s All About Attitude.” So imagine my surprise on a return flight from breakfast in McCall when we hit turbulence—like a zealous toddler with a balsa-wood airplane—and Len said:

“It’s okay Laurie. I’m going to make a change in attitude, not altitude.”

Len didn’t mean his emotional attitude. When hit by choppy air, if the pilot tries to maintain altitude (the higher/lower aspect), the plane can suffer damage.

If, however, the pilot keeps the attitude of the plane straight and level, you’ll keep flying, get through it, and the plane will remain in tact.

From my perspective, that’s a great analogy for life. Sometimes we encounter turbulence on the journey. When that happens—and it will—it’s important to keep a straight and level attitude. If we do, we’ll keep going, get through it, and remain in tact.

When was your last patch of turbulence?

© lauriebuchanan.com