Into The Wind

A while ago, I saw a memorable Delta Airlines commercial ( “Keep Climbing” , 2014) highlighting Delta’s corporate philosophy of how they treat their employees and customers.  What stood out in my mind was when the commercial narrator said something like, “During takeoff, if the plane flies before the wind, the plane cannot be lifted up with the force of the wind. However, if the plane turns into the wind, the plane will take lift. “

It’s the thing that you press against is what lifts you up….This was the message of inspiration that I received.

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Here is a Meditation for Creation I wrote to capture the feeling I got from this commercial.

If I am afraid of going towards a desired goal that seems to big to conquer,
I redefine my expectations for a stronger footing.  I meditate on how to get myself where I need to be,
then I relinquish all fear,
all inhibition
I surrender to follow the flow of energy that is organic in nature.
I will embrace this directionality
by staying loyal
to take the steps that will help me travel
on my chosen path
only to get to my ultimate destination.
I am ready, open, strong,
mature, wise and disciplined
to make the choices
to go towards,  instead of running away
to face up to,  instead of to avoid
go head on,  instead cowering in self-doubt.
I honor the value in having good timing.
If I hastily react too soon, I may not be able to see the whole picture. But if I wait, if I practice the art of patience,
And respond to the prompts to act accordingly
At the right time
And the right place,
I will take flight.

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Although I don’t know anything about flying, this commercial taught me to think about taking on challenges differently.  For example, I may want to respond to a particular dilemma the same way over and over. But then I learn that if I take a new approach I never knew was possible, I could solve my problem!    All I had to do was pay closer attention to the clue-like details I’ve learned but never appreciated, or couldn’t understand at the time.  The moment I am shown the right steps to solve my problem, I allow myself to enter the mindset to listen to and follow the instructions.  My feeling of centeredness is guiding me to be more mobilized than ever before.

Now I am:
Better able to tackle challenges,
stronger to navigate in and out of sticky situations,
more equipped to smooth out the kinks,
more clear-minded to make educated decisions,
more motivated to reach my goals
more driven to finish what I start,
more capable of problem solving,
more adaptable to change,
more brave to face the unknown.

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In the commercial, “Keep Climbing” , Delta Airlines go on to deliver another important message reflecting their deep values of community .  They convey that they have high expectations for every Delta employee from flight mechanics to cabin attendants to be:  friendly, compassionate, genuine, caring, and social.  Strong connections begin with a “Hello”. Delta is creating a tall task to be friendly with this simple request.

Some reflections…

When we go out there in everyday life after we leave our homes, saying “Hello” with kindness and genuine intention can make someone’s day, or maybe even someone’s week.  When we make other people’s day better, it should give us something back—self-pride of having good manners, and being a respectful person.

We can be models of friendliness, and break undesirable societal patterns potentially enabling us to behave rudely to one another without consequence.  Many of us have gotten away with being socially irresponsible and immature.  An example of this is when a person is not giving eye contact, not initiating a “hello” to a cashier at the grocery store, or even a to a relative at a holiday dinner.    Being friendly allows us to let go of baggage, anger, erroneous thoughts we tell ourselves, and unnecessary negative attitudes.   Surrendering to do, the right thing is very liberating.

Like a plane that becomes weightless in flight, we too, can lift ourselves out of the burdens of one-dimensional thinking, and move towards a life of greater inter-connectedness.   Friendliness is the essence of living in a world of authenticity.  We need to teach the youth to behave with greater respect, unconditional positive regard , and greater acceptance.  Then, we as one people will feel more emotionally safe to express ourselves without further fear of judgment or rejection.

Delta Airline’s corporate philosophy is certainly one we can all learn from  Delta has been creating an attitude of friendliness beginning with a “simple hello”.

Some Questions…..

*What can you do today to create a more peace-loving world?
*What steps can you take to set the examples of approachability, generosity or selflessness for the younger generations?
(i.e., the Future of our World)
*How important is it to you to make stronger connections to others?  Should it be important to you at all?  It is worth thinking about?
*What is at risk for the next generation’s emotional well-being and future development of societal attitudes/behaviors, if we don’t make it a priority to dig deep within yourself, and create the necessary inner changes to co-exist in a more tranquil and unruffled world?

For more information, feel free to reach out to Rebecca by calling 248-459-9191.

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