Feeling out of control? Winning advice from a pilot for getting unstuck and regaining control.

One day, I was chitchatting with a pilot.

He told me that during flight training, he had to purposely go into something called an aircraft stall.

(This is a where the nose of the plane drops, causing it to head straight to the ground… sometimes going into a spin… and in some cases ending in a fatal crash).

Future pilots practice going into aircraft stalls so they know exactly what to do (if it were to happen) and how to get out of it.

So I asked him, What usually causes an aircraft to stall?

He replied, not enough speed.

This hit me like a ton of bricks.

This was a perfect metaphor for when people are struggling. I had seen this pattern a million times. So often people stop moving…. they start retreating… they stay-at-home…they avoid certain situations… they avoid asking for help…

And it’s totally understandable - but they lose momentum and that’s when a stall happen.
Then they stop making progress on their goals, their relationships strain, and sometimes their health plummets.

And they feel like they are falling.

How do you get out of a stall?

​You regain speed.

You start moving again… doing activities that bring purpose to your life… start taking action again… even if it’s small habits… small tasks…

That’s how you get out of a stall - and likewise how to get out of feeling like you’re spinning.

Take that first step today,

Kelan Ern

P.S. If regaining speed is key to getting control of our life again, how can we stop the negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions that hold us back.