Inspirations from an A/C & an Airplane!

I was not feeling well… I needed to be away. That is all I knew as I parked my car nearby my favorite place, the sea. Though the weather was pleasant, I could feel the heat fuming my body. I was stressed out and just wanted to get out of what I was in. I sat there and just sat there. I spotted an airplane fly across the lovely sky as I was admiring its beauty and I thought, “Oh, how I wish to fly away.” I then suddenly felt cold as I had apparently set the A/C strong and it was gushing air my way. I reached out to warm it down and a smile found its curve on my face. I was inspired.

Inspiration from the A/C:

A/C: Air Condition. No, not really. Today, it means something different to me.
A/C: Awareness/Choice.

Be aware of your current state. Be curious.
What is “this”? What is happening here?
How is “this” affecting me? (be it your state of mind, heart, body…)
How is “this” serving me?
Now "this" can be your current state of being, a situation you are in, what other people are telling you, or even what you are telling you about you. “This” can be anything.

As simple as it seems, awareness does not present itself easily to us especially when we are entangled within the situation and when we are not used to “stop and just be present”. Becoming aware is like travelling half of the journey. Awareness deserves acknowledgement and celebration. Awareness breeds clarity and options. Be active in your own life; do not be passive. Exercising awareness is a serving habit. Habit it!

Once you are aware of what you are in and where you are at, it becomes a matter of “C”. Choice.
Given what I sense, given what I know, given what I feel… what do I choose to be/do?
How do I choose to respond?
What can I start with now that can route the way for what can better serve me later?
Who or what can I contact/ reach out to for help?

Make that choice. Travel the other half of the journey (and discover more).

Be inspired by an A/C!

Inspiration from the Airplane:

There is a lot to learn from an airplane. An airplane: a heavy vehicle with fixed wings capable of flying and defying gravity. Yes, but there is more to how I see it today. An airplane: a flying vehicle made mostly of solid metal yet has some see-through windows.

Just like the weight limit on a plane, hold what is enough within you and learn to let go of the excess....because you are enough. Lift yourself up and learn to deal with the different forces around you in a way that serves you best. Rise up, fly, and fly. And even in times of rain and storm, gear yourself up with the necessary tools to help you deal with the situation as safely for you as possible.

A lot of you is hidden. A lot of a plane is hidden within its metal parts too. And just like you, a plane has windows… see-through windows. Your windows may be your vulnerabilities, your sharings with others, your emotions, your thoughts, your actions… your windows may be anything that can make your inside and factors valuable to your inside viewable to others. Despite seeming like its weakest structure and its most vulnerable entry point, windows of a plane do not break easily. Build your windows pressure-proof like those of a plane. There is nothing wrong in being vulnerable, in fact it is healthy. Just make sure you do not destroy your whole through a collapsible and poorly managed vulnerability.

Learn to pressure-proof yourself from pressures around you and from your own pressures on you. Maintain your pressure- proof windows by staying true to yourself, by managing who and what can or cannot penetrate, and by being aware of what you share and who you share it with.

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I strongly believe in the power of making associations to facilitate learning and recall.
So the next time you are in your car, in a room, or even feeling the natural A/C from the wind or breeze, think of my A/C. Make it yours. Practice it.
And the next time you see a plane or you are on one, think of the weights you have in you, of how you carry yourself through, and of how you deal with your own windows.

Stay cool like an A/C.
Fly high like an airplane and be fly!

Positively,
Samar A. Naim

People & Organizational Development Specialist
Certified Professional Coach/ Associate Certified Coach
Certified Corporate Etiquette & International Protocol Consultant