Flying makes me happy. Like… really, really happy.
I've also dedicated my professional life on the ground to making people happy, through legendary events.
Relentless optimism is at the core of who I am. Imagine my delight when I came across an article called 5 Things to do Daily to be Happier, by Stephanie Harrison, author of The New Happy — the Definitive Guide to Happiness.
In the article, she articulates 5 simple tactics for cultivating happiness in your daily routines. Every single one of them resonated for me. And I couldn't help but relate ALL of them back to… you guessed it… AIRPLANES!
Share your feelings with others
"You know how you can tell there's a pilot in the room? They'll tell you."
If you know a pilot, you KNOW how much he or she loves talking about airplanes. I have absolutely been guilty of this… I mean… I'm doing it right now! (sorry, not sorry.)
Everyone who has been bitten by the aviation bug, and been fortunate enough to get on the path and follow it all the way into the cockpit and into the sky, is proud of it. We have invested a ton of time and money into pursuing this passion, and we are just BURSTING to tell everyone about it.
In the article, Harrison mentions the negativity bias, which is what causes our brain to tend to serve up a dashboard of negative thoughts, tasks, or problems that need to be corrected. Our brains mean well, but sometimes it's important to focus on the GOOD stuff — like airplanes, obviously! So on behalf of all the pilots… you're welcome.
At our team meetings each week, the first thing we do is to go around and talk about things are bringing us happiness. It's a great way to re-align our focus, and to reinforce our mission: We're making people happy, through legendary events. THEN we get to work.
Focus on the next step more than the end goal
If we had to do everything at once, flying an airplane would be completely overwhelming and unrealistic. To manage the torrent of high-stakes tasks and information, pilots have gotten really, really good at prioritizing.
It turns out multitasking makes you worse at all of the things you're trying to focus on simultaneously. That's why everyone is feeling so frazzled these days: They're bombarded with notifications, messages, demands, and information — and we try to take on too much at once.
Pilot thinking has made me a better prioritizer on the ground. I try to organize the influx, prioritize, and focus on one thing at a time. In the end, I generally manage to feel both happy AND productive.
Perform an act of kindness
You already KNOW we love to talk about flying. Have you ever tried telling a pilot that you'd like to go flying? Chances are, they cleared their calendar, and 10 minutes later, you were on the runway. (Lucky you!)
Once I had my license, all I wanted to do was fly. The problem is, it's one of the most cost-prohibitive hobbies I can imagine. (Side note: I'm licensed as both a Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, but generally don't fly for hire. You know what they say: There's no better way to ruin your hobby than to make it your job.)
So I set out to find ways that flying could benefit others, and came across some amazing organizations like Patient AirLift Services (PALS), AngelFlight, Above the Clouds, and Pilots to the Rescue, all of which connect pilots with people and/or animals that need a lift. Flights like these have been some of the most rewarding ones in my logbook.
Ask for help when you need it
You'll never believe this, but every once in a while, pilots screw up. It's inevitable. We get a frequency wrong; we mis-hear a controller; we accidentally drift into an area that we weren't cleared for.
There's a horrible feeling that comes in those moments: Worry, shame, stress, embarrassment. We're supposed to be the cool, qualified pilot, and here we are screwing things up. But we need to get over it — fast — and start making intentional choices to get things back on track safely.
One of the mnemonics that we learn in flight training is The Five C's, and one of them is "Confess." Swallow your pride, own up to your mistakes, and ask for help. The air traffic controllers might be annoyed (and depending on the offense, you might get in trouble), but they'll always help get you back on track fast.
Notice the good that’s around you
The simple magic of flight is something that will NEVER get old. I flew today (in the back of a plane, heading for a conference), and was glued to the window the whole time. The feeling of being in the pilot's seat, as the runway starts zooming by beneath you, and the ground falls away… it's just the absolute coolest.
I'm grateful to get to experience something this magical, and it has taught me to acknowledge the other bits of magic that we experience every day.
Sources of happiness are all around us. Sometimes it's just a matter of paying attention.
Onward (and upward).
