High flyers

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

  ~ Henry Ford

Sitting in the garden after work listening to an unusually high level of plane activity overhead, made me think of this quote. Sometimes life can seem against us and however hard we try we don't seem to get the breaks we believe we deserve. Then out of those period of struggle, comes a sudden uplift of air that gives us a refreshing feeling of freedom and enlightenment. This feeling is as contrasting as a summer meadow to a dank dark wood. There is a freedom in the joy of feeling life is moving on again and this 'lightness of being' is enchanting, as perfect as flight itself. The struggle to get air born is behind us and we can look back at the vapour trails in our wake. 

To think that good people should not have to go through such times of turbulence is I'm afraid to say nothing more than romantic folly. There is a fight in us all that has to be won. I am reminded of this other quote which I like very much:

Good people are not those who lack flaws, the brave are not those who feel no fear, and the generous are not those who never feel selfish. Extraordinary people are not extraordinary because they are invulnerable to unconscious biases. They'll are extraordinary because they choose to do something about it. 

~ Shankar Vedantam 

There is nothing special about the struggle one person will go through in a lifetime, we all meet our demons at one time or other. It is important that we keep fighting and never give in, because the good things in life don't go away they are only temporarily obscured from our view. It is also very important that we celebrate and enjoy the good times when they roll in. Making the most of what is given to us now and to strive to be extraordinary in your ordinariness.