How to FLY!!

In Greek mythology, Icarus and Daedalus actually flew! Daedalus, Icarus’ father, made them wings of feathers and wax.  They escaped the prison that they had been banished to, by flying.  But then Icarus, against his father's instruction, got too close to the sun, the wax on his wings melted, and he plunged to his death.

If your life is like that…if the things that take you flying high are made from faulty, dangerous, or unpredictable material, then you, too, will take a plunge.

That is why when I tell you to fly, I mean naturally!!

You’ve heard of being “high on life,” right?  It is SOOOOOOOO easy to do!  It is SOOOOOOOOO simple to be happy by doing things that you love without using mind-altering, sense-numbing, danger-to-yourself-and-others substitutes!!  Does it sound like I’m on a “high” horse?  Good because riding a horse is a natural “high.”  Have you ever ridden a horse?  It’s very exhilarating and ranks as a "medium" “high!!”

That’s right, there are different levels of “high” that give you the feeling of flying.  The levels of "high" range anywhere from ONE through TEN, ONE being a basic “high” and TEN being extreme...ONE equals flying close to the ground and TEN is soaring high and at speeds that cannot be imagined!!

I am writing this because you might 1) not know or understand this concept, or 2) need a boost to get you out into the world, having fun, being happy, and living life.  Messing around with your Play Station 21 hours a day (169 hours a week)…is not really living...or flying.

So let’s talk about some of the things that rev your engine…things that get you going…things that make you go "YOWZA" (in a good way)!!

I have many friends and acquaintances that I can use as examples (their names are changed to protect the innoce….yeah,...right,...like any of them are innocent)!

Mike is a high school music teacher.  He loves what he does and as a result, he goes to “high” school every day of the week.  His wife, Tabitha, is the same way, escept that she teaches junior "high!"

For them, I would say their “highs” are at a level 3 or 4…because it’s an every day thing. There are situations and events (and teenagers) that they have to put up with, but it’s worth it to them!!  Imagine loving your job.  That, in and of itself, should have a person flying on a level 3 0r 4 high every day...even when there are setbacks.  Setbacks are part of the journey and if you assume that you won't have any, then you are putting away the pound cake at a pipe dream picnic. Love what you do for a living...otherwise, you're not really "living."

My mom (not her real name) could truly have her own television cooking show…she is that good.  In fact, there’s a certain day, every week, in which she cooks for up to 40 people at a time.  The masses pour into my parent’s house every week because of the food, the company, and the happy feelings that reside in their home.  Does my mom get paid to do this?  Does my dad?  Not in cash, but in "flight!"  My mom LOVES doing it.  For years I have witnessed this weekly ritual...and it is amazing!  She puts so much time and effort into the meals...and when it is all over, I can tell that she's worn out, but I also know that she wouldn’t miss doing it for anything!!  It’s her “high”!!  My dad is the one who does the grocery shopping and foots the bill.  HE gets to "fly" by watching my mom have such a good time being a fabulous hostess and dinner designer!!  HE loves seeing her love what she is doing.  This experience is a weekly level 6 or 7 for them.

Personally, I am flying in the knowledge that I’m helping somebody (hopefully you) with the information that I put in my posts.  I also get a high when I can make people smile (or laugh)…these are level 1 –3 highs.  I get a higher high (level 5) when I play baseball or other sports.  Physical activity is a great "flight" simulator.

Watching scary movies (if they’re actually scary) gets me to flying at a level 4.

Roller coaster rides, for me, are anywhere between a 6 and 8!!

Earlier, when I mentioned "extreme flying” (level 10), I was referring to things that take you way out of your comfort zone...things like bungee jumping, or parachuting, or haunted houses (I mean the real thing…not the ones that you go to during Halloween). Plus, there are the kinds of extreme flying highs you get when you are making one of your dreams come true...for me, an example of this is recording a song that I composed in an actual sound studio with real musicians. Often I find myself laughing and giggling with glee (and sometimes out and out crying) because the feeling of flying is so intense, or exciting, or unbelievable.  A first kiss is an extreme, too!  I “first” kiss my wife every morning and it is wonderful…she helps me constantly soar!!

What activitiess do you do that make you fly?

Why aren't you doing them more often?

Once you know what they are, do them for Pete's sake (but do them more for YOUR sake)!!  The flying sensation is caused when your body creates endorphins that give you the “high” that you want and deserve!!

I’ll tell you of 2 of the greatest HIGHS that you will ever experience, although when you read them, you will question my sanity.

The first “high” is the “high” of facing your fears.  What are you afraid of?  Clowns?  Heights?  Spiders?  Catholic Nuns?  Baptist Nuns (just kidding)?  Bullies?  Mattresses?  War?  Peace?  Getting lost?  Being found?  Haunted houses?

What ever you are afraid of, ask yourself if it is rational.  It IS rational to be afraid of death, so don’t go out and face it just to see if you can.  Danger to your safety is not flying, it's stupidity.  After you decide that your fear is/isn’t rational, decide what would be the best way to face it.  When you do, the rush to face it will give you a level 10 “high!!...”and if that ain't flying, I don't know what is.  If, however, you don’t succeed in facing your fear the first time, take a break (how ever long you need…5 minutes, 5 days, 5 years), then go back and face it again.

Let me give you an example: July 4, 19 sumpethy-somethin' (I don't quite remember the year), my brother and I were driving with our girlfriends on the freeway, on our way to a barbeque about an hour's drive away.  In front of us, on the freeway, was a truck with a mattress loosely fastened down on the back of it.  Bear in mind that we were travelling at approximately 70 miles per hour and that the traffic flow was quite heavy.  Suddenly the mattress on the truck flew off and landed right in front of us.  I couldn't swerve to the right because there was a lane full of cars.  I couldn't swerve to the left because there was a 50 foot drop into a ravine with only a guardrail to keep us from plummetting to our certain destruction. So I tried to slow down as easily as I could.  The car behind me wasn't paying attention, so it rear-ended us.  When they hit us with their momentum, our car hit the mattress, flew up onto the guard rail and rode it for about 25 feet before coming back down onto the road side of the freeway...thankfully.  If we had gone on the other side of the guardrail, we might not have made it.  Most of us just got away with a little bit of whiplash, but ever since then, I have had an unnatural fear of mattresses on trucks.  I experience true sensations of panic anytime (few and far between as it may be) I see people moving their beds in a truck.  (One time I ended up behind a truck that had about ten mattresses stacked one on top of the other. ANXIETY!!) I don't get a lot of chances to face this fear, however, because I know I need to, if I ever see a truck with mattresses on it, I stick close to it and try to overcome the apprehension that fills my soul. When I do that...two things happen.  I face my fear and slowly accept it, and, at the same time, I get the feeling that I'm flying because the endorphins are doing their job!  For the most part, these fears are irrational, so when you face them, you will get to fly and you will get to heal.  Isn't that amazing?

There are general fears that people have, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of speaking in front of large groups (statistics show that more people would rather die than to speak in front of an audience).

With this little bit of wisdom I'm sharing, I hope to get people to realize that they don’t have to be afraid.  If they face their fears, many more good things would get done in this world, and many more people would be many more happy!! (I did that on purpose)

The 2nd “high” is FORGIVENESS!!

A personal example: Without going into too much detail, there was a person who, I felt, had wronged me BIG TIME!!  I carried the weight of that anger and hatred with me for a year.  A wise friend of mine told me that I should ask the offender for forgiveness.  I was outraged.  What!!?  “That” person wronged me, not the other way around!!  Well, my friend told me I could do it the “chicken” way and write a letter to “that” person.  I don’t do the “chicken” way, so I went over to the house of “that” person, who was very surprised to see me, but let me in.  I sincerely asked for forgiveness for being angry and hateful.  “That” person was grateful for what I had to say and proceeded to ask me for forgiveness for what they had done………………..I walked out of “that” friend’s house (I say “friend” because after that experience, we became closer than we had been before) on cloud 9.  I felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off of my shoulders.  A ton of bricks that had been there for a year!!  I felt light, happy, and “HIGH” (level 10)!!  I actually remember looking down to see where the ground was as I left, because I could not feel it beneath my feet. I was literally flying that night!

Forgiveness, even if you don’t think you should be the one to ask for it, should be a big part of your desire to fly!!

The example above is not a one-time experience. You should do it as often as you can. Know, however, and I'm sorry to have to say it, there are times when you won’t have a happy ending.  Perhaps the other person won’t ask for forgiveness…or they may grow more hurtful and more resentful towards you.  This is the human element. But if YOU have done everything in your power to do the “forgiveness” thing, you’ll still get the “high.”  It might be more of a mixed emotion “high,” but I promise you, it will still be worth it!!

Well, that's it...keep flying. Whatever you do, DON'T do drugs, alcohol, or any kind of addictive substance to get your “high!!”  If you do that, it's like Icarus flying too close to the sun, your wings will be taken away from you and you’ll plunge to your death, whether it’s a spiritual, emotional, social, or physical death!!

It’s much better to go for the pure kind of  HIGH!!  When you do...then you’ll know "How to Fly!!"

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