A flight deck, to be exact.
We’re a little bruised and shaken from our journey through that long, scary corridor, but we made it, because we held hands, and encouraged each other, and quit stopping every few feet to read and agree with another fear-message. You remember–those ugly samplers on the walls?
Now, we must deal with the condition of the flight deck.
Chances are, we’ve abandoned the controls, and now the place is full of chimpanzees. Yikes! Akk! (And every other cartoon superlative we can think of!) They’ve been taking the ship in every which direction. It’s no wonder we’re off course.
The first thing we have to do is assert our rights as Captain. We have to stand up straight and say, “Hey! This is MY ship, and I intend to fly it from now on!”
The monkeys all have names: Apathy–Unworthiness–Fear of Failure–Fear of Success–Laziness–it goes on and on. So many monkeys, so little time, and the longer we deliberate and wring our hands, the more chaotic the situation is going to get.
Where to start?
Well, to tame the monkeys, we must first recognize them, each one, by name. They are not really enemies, you know. They are simply little hairy signals, very noisy and rambunctious, bearing important messages. “I am the reason you are not getting where you want to go. Recognize me, and change my name, say to Commitment, Worthiness, COURAGE, or Trust. And then I will co-operate with you.”
Get out your journals, Ladies and Gentlemen.
What are the names of the monkeys flying YOUR ship?
Whatever you do, don’t lose hope. Because just by entering the flight deck and claiming your rightful place as captain, you have already won the battle. The rest is just clean-up.
I’ll be back on Monday morning, good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise. We may move on to another room, or spend a little more time on the flight deck. I won’t know until I’ve written in my OWN journal.
