After years of flying in planes I just recently discovered what the actual feeling is for me. See, when I am in the air in one of these powerful birds, the first thing that comes to mind is “awe”, the impossible being defied, defeated, a new way of traveling. I am experiencing what one day men thought of as a dream; I am breaking barriers into the wind to do the unnatural, fly. It is no surprise that kids express it better than adults, with their hyperventilation, loud words, and uncontrollable emotions for finally jumping into a plane. As I grow older, the feeling is still the same, but I restrain myself from the emotions to appear more like an adult who has just normalized what flying means to me.
This is no different than when we refer to people being “high”. It is a state of sudden disconnection between how someone should think, act, and do and what they are doing; they are freer, happier, and ecstatic; put simply, the subconscious part of the brain is acting out and the conscious part, better known as the ego, is asleep, and they become unafraid of just being.
Let me break it down for you. This is not about looking to get high on external factors, but rather appreciating how there are moments when a lack of self-control makes us feel at our best when we stop performing and start being. Isn’t it wonderful to know that to get high,” we don’t need to rely on a weekend getaway, spring break, a bag of chocolates, or a gallon of wine? What if we could finally see that to get into a state of awe or the known flow of creativity, we just need to learn to connect with our inner self, the most real part of us? But how do we connect?
There are already many tools available, such as prayer, meditation, deep reflection, and self-awareness, but if you really want to start now, just grab a plane to anywhere, and instead of sleeping through the flight, make yourself observe the part of life you are playing at that exact moment. You don’t have to do it in the physical realm; the mind is so powerful that it can recreate the scene. Just like when we were kids and imagined everything with such ease, we are looking to recreate the emotion that the thought provokes.
I have found that the high I get from flying and the produce of my enlightened creativity during flights just come from the fact that I accept how small I am and enjoy, as a little kid would, the window view of the land beneath me, the clouds, the ocean, and the awareness that every passenger around me took the guts to jump in here to live an adventure, be it visiting a child, a sibling, a friend, or just walking into a new life or out of an old one, willing to share space with a bunch of strangers, just to get to a new or known destination, who knows
The magic I feel every time I am on a trip doesn’t limit itself to the plane ride; it starts with preparing, getting to the airport, watching every face on the counter, customs, and lounges. Witnessing an industry operate at that level of detail just to bring people together in the most comfortable and safest way possible makes me wonder if everybody is aware of what they are being part of
So here is the question, can such a heightened experience be lived naturally every day? Well yeah! We just need to be equally surprised by what we now call everyday chores and activities and see them as the wonders they are. Being able to take your children to school when so many kids have no parents or family, being able to read and reflect on this when many others are struggling with depression, substance abuse, and whatnot, just to disconnect and get a high on life, even if it is just for a moment, being able to have a good laugh, a good hug, and a good day when so many don’t know what good even means
I know, I know—easier said than done, no doubt about that. I don’t want to be a cynic and pretend it’s easy for me and that I have a superpower you don’t. But I do know that a life is built every day, and I know that joy is around us if we are willing to feel it. I also know that you have the power to do it on your own and get your own high from within; just allow yourself to be surprised every day by everything.
I might not be right at all, but the next time you take a trip, hopefully you will remember this and have a different experience, and that is just enough for me. Peace.