Unexpected Turbulence: Navigating Life's Jolts
This might come as a shocker, but aviation weather forecasters don’t always get it right. The accuracy level they’ve achieved in recent years is phenomenal, but there are many times when the weather throws a curveball at pilots.
I’ve encountered this a few times with unexpected turbulence. I took off, eager for a relaxing, smooth flight and halfway to my destination the plane starts bouncing like a stone skipped across a pond. Unlike a stone that will disappear and sink to the pond bottom before making it to the other side, I need to reach my destination.
But unexpected turbulence doesn’t only show up in the sky, it shows up in everyone’s lives at some point. We cruise along, everything fine, and out of the blue, we get a jolt. Then we get another and before we know it, we can have major turbulence in our lives. One can wish it away, but in the end, everyone must cope with it.
Pilots are trained to deal with turbulence by performing actions to preserve the structural integrity of the plane. In fact, flight training covers many emergencies through a series of checklists. Even wise, high-time pilots use checklists to help remember what to do when something bad happens. But as human beings on this journey through life, most of us are expected to deal with tough times without formal training beforehand. If we do get "official" training, it’s often after the fact, perhaps in the form of counseling or therapy. The downside is this typically occurs after long, continuous exposure to major life turbulence, often after damage has been done.
What should you do when your life hits turbulence? Here’s a suggested checklist:
1) Assess the situation - How bad is it? Are we talking minor bumps that are slightly uncomfortable or is it dangerous, requiring immediate action? Sometimes turbulence is a minor annoyance. Recognize any good life will have these annoyances and ride them out, focusing on the positives in your life rather than dwelling on the negatives. Becoming myopic on the negative can lead to a downward spiral turning minor events into overblown issues that can affect your outlook on life and eventually, your mental and physical health.
2) Look at the big picture - Sometimes the turbulence that seems major, maybe disastrous, like losing a job, appears minor when we look at the big picture. After some time passed when losing jobs, I’ve heard more people say, “It was the best thing for me,” than I’ve heard people say it ruined their life. Actually, I’ve never heard anyone say, “Losing that job ruined my life.” A good friend of mine going through a challenging time once told me, “It’s only a small speed bump in a big life.” I remind myself of that whenever my life hits turbulence.
3) Slow down - When moderate to severe turbulence shows up in the sky, pilots throttle the engine back. This ensures the jolts to the plane and any rapid control movement will not damage the structural integrity of the plane. The last thing we want is a wing popping off mid-flight. This applies to life as well. Many of us run at full speed most of the time. Dialing the throttle back can alleviate some of the stress we place on ourselves. How do we know what to dial back on? See the next item.
4) Focus on what’s important - In aviation, there’s an established priority on activities so there’s no question what’s most important. Aviating—the act of flying the plane— comes first. Navigating comes next and takes priority over communication. This doesn’t mean that knowing what direction you are flying and communicating on the radios aren’t important, but those two actions mean nothing if you stall and spin the plane because your airspeed becomes dangerously slow. We juggle many balls in life. Make sure you know which ones you can drop without serious consequences and which ones you must keep in the air.
5) Divert - If turbulence is severe during a flight to a destination, I look for a nearby airport to put the plane down, a safe harbor where I can wait out the weather. In life, I may do the same thing. If tough times keep me from reaching my goal, do I give up the goal? No, I take a break, check my inner compass to make sure the goal is still sound, and then I gather energy. When the shake-up has passed or begins to subside, I continue the journey toward my goal. We need breaks in life, time to rest and recuperate. Sometimes we decide it’s time, sometimes life itself decides. But these rest stops often give fresh insight into ourselves, our goals, and how to better reach them.
6) Have faith in yourself - Every bump in life prepares you for bigger and more complex bumps. Trust your resiliency as a human being to get over them. Draw upon past crises in your life and take comfort in the fact you triumphed before and will triumph again. When I was still a student pilot, shortly after I began flying solo trips, I experienced severe, unexpected turbulence right after takeoff. It was scary. I wanted to be back on the ground in that instant. Keeping calm, I focused on my training and returned the airplane safely to the airport. That day I walked away with more confidence and faith in my abilities.
7) Get help - We all need help at certain times in our lives. Sometimes it’s a friend or relative, sometimes it’s a professional. Either way, learn to recognize when you need help and ask for it. And it’s better to ask for help sooner rather than later. A good rule of thumb is, “If in doubt, reach out.”
Here’s one last thing to ponder. The passing of time helps us recognize turbulent times for what they are: vital stepping stones in our growth as human beings. Wise souls know turbulence is part of the journey, and they wouldn’t want it any other way. And the wisest among them remember to use their checklists.
