(Excerpt from Chapter 6, The Attractive Trap)
On a visit to Kitty Hawk, NC, I visited the famous Wright Brothers Museum. On one of the walls the three obstacles and subsequent lessons of flight were posted. After laborious trial and effort, the Wright brothers established three hurdles that must be overcome and applied in order to take and sustain flight. These same obstacles and lessons are the same hurdles all of the women in my book, The Attractive Trap, had to learn in order to ultimately escape their traps.
Obstacle Number One- Lift
In order to take off, you first have to achieve lift. A wing surface has to be designed to take the greatest advantage of the fact that any air particles streaming across the upper and lower surfaces of the wing will keep it aloft.
Within each of us a resiliency and resolve to change must be established within our core. This resiliency provides the strength and fortitude to not only take the initiative to change but to use the negative things that want to get in the way of the escape. The very stuff that aids in lifting or providing the initial momentum will also keep the process aloft.
Obstacle Number 2- Power
The Wright Brothers needed the design of a light weight, high powered engine along with efficient propellers, and a transmission mechanism which would provide enough propulsive force to provide forward motion, lift the heavy machine, and sustain that motion while in the air.
We can use our fuel such as anger or years of hurt in order to fuel the strength and health we need to press into the wind ahead. This allows us to convert emotions like anger to power and energy to move us through the flight.
Obstacle Number 3- Control
Stability and direction are always required for a successful flight. The air flow over the rapidly turning blades of a propeller-driven plane produces thrust, or forward motion. Each blade of the propeller acts as a small rotating force allowing air to flow over its curved surface. It then allows for horizontal “lift” which propels the aircraft forward.
The Wright Brothers borrowed this principle of thrust from their knowledge of how a bicycle works. As we start and continue to peddle, momentum ensues.
“Just keep moving forward”, is the message we must tell ourselves and apply. We can always find the resources needed for the next step as a way to provide momentum. If we stop at any point along the way, lift, power and control are lost, interfering with our go forward position. Each time we delay, we become increasingly unsure of the process and push the pause button. When we land again and go through lift off multiple times, it delays our flight and subsequent freedom.
No matter how you are trying to advance in life – momentum is everything in driving the process. As long as you keep going forward in the right direction, your momentum will take you to the desired state. Guaranteed.
Buckle your seatbelt. It’s time for take-off.