Fly with the direction of your own wind

Have you ever thought you should be doing what someone else was doing just so you would not feel left out or for another reason? I used to do that. Today while crawling up the first incline of the Cooper River bridge, my running partner (sister blood sweat tears girlfriend for life) told me that she had decided to complete a triathalon. Let me say that for whatever reason I feel that I should do what she does. I ran my second marathon because she wanted to and I felt that if I didn't she would be more of a marathoner than me. Okay, in what universe does that even matter? Well, it mattered in my head. So, today for a hot minute (probably a while longer until I could breathe normally on the summit of the bridge) I was mentally trying to fit swimming and cycling into my schedule so that I could do a triathalon, too. It did not matter that sister girlfriend did not ask me to join her on this latest journey. She would not have been upset if I had decided to join her, but it wasn't even something I wanted to do! So once I could breathe and talk at the same time, I congratulated her on her choice.

I realized that we fly with different winds. It is great when our winds are going in the same direction. It is equally wonderful when we fly independently one above the other or in opposite directions. Neither is more important, they are uniquely awesome. So I will cheer her on and be completely supportive as she flies on that journey without me. Some journeys are not meant to be physically shared. I will definitely celebrate with her afterwards with a glass of our favorite beverage, champagne. I can be happy in that role. It is not my journey. The mistake that we often make is taking on someone else's journey. When you do that, you miss out on your own. There is a very good book about that by Juanita Bynum called Don't Get off the Train: En Route to Your Divine Destination.

Another sister girlfriend for life told me not to hog my journey. That simply means that although she will not travel with me, she needs to be a part of it. She needs to know how my wind lifted me up. I need to know how her wind moved her as well. In the end, we gain knowledge, experience, and insight.

We do not have time to travel all of the journeys or to make all the mistakes in the world. We should seek the wisdom of those who fly with the direction of different winds. It is there where we can truly appreciate the joy of flying and each other. So sister girlfriend, listen to your heart and fly with the direction of your own wind. Just do not discount those who fly in a different directions.

I found this in an Oprah magazine. It is about flying in with the direction of your own wind.

Note to Self: Step out of line

"For every nine people who denounce innovation, only one will encourage it...For every nine people who do things the way they have always been done, only one will ever wonder if there is a better way. For every nine people who stand in line in front of a locked building, only one will ever come around and check the back door. Our progress as a species rests squarely on the shoulders of that tenth person. The nine are satisfied with things they are told are valuable. Person 10 determines for himself what has value" (Za Rinpoche and Ashley Nebelsieck in The Backdoor to Enlightenment).

Happy Flying!