The challenge with building wings after you jump is that you cannot be the one to build them. Overwhelmed with the reality of the free-fall, you must keep your attention focused on the necessities of each millisecond. Unable to grasp for safety, you must remain present to the thoughts that surface in the face of such uncertainty.

Wavering from the moment, and seeking to build in the middle of your free-fall only takes away from the leaps in personal evolution prompted by your guts to jump in the first place.

You must stay in each moment, experience the agitation and grief brought on by fear, while not allowing it to consume you. Notice, shift your attention, and then refocus. You must release the desire to build, and find it within you to sit back and watch as a power much greater than yourself builds your wings.

Just because you cannot see the tiny feathers strategically placed to aid you in landing doesn’t mean your wings are not being built. And, the color and size of your wings may not be exactly as you’d thought necessary for such an undertaking. And yet, when you take a moment to receive the oxygen that is effortlessly making it’s way into your lungs, you can remember to look for small, possibly misshapen wings that are being built.

With this perspective you will go away from fearing your lack, and find tremendous gratitude for each feather that has been placed. The more you focus on the gift of each feather, the faster they grow and replicate. Fear works the same way.

Focus on each feather. Focus on matters that intrigue you, bring joy and remind you what a gift it is to be on this journey.

Is it easy?

When looked at too broadly, no. When ruminating on possibilities related to some future moment, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and to begin grasping for safety. By remaining focused on just this moment, the entire experience of life becomes a gift you’re capable of seeing and perhaps even experiencing as such.

Rather than focusing down at the dirt you’re headed toward, then, perhaps you can remind yourself to feel the wind, experience your heart beating, your lungs expanding and notice the stunning view as you fall. As you learn to experience each free-fall life offers with curiosity and openness, trusting in your builder of wings, you will find your peace and serenity.

Such trust will give you the capacity to be present to yourself (and ultimately others) in the midst of your most exhilarating moments without trying to hide, fade of fix any of it. Others, like you, have their own builder of wings. By stepping back you’ll have the capacity to give yourself permission to experience the beauty that surrounds you.

As you learn to trust in life, you’ll be able to experience constant joy in spite of the weather patterns of emotions that stir your soul. You’ll see them for what they are—thoughts, not truth. As a result you’ll get to decide what perspective to take on each experience, thus gain the remarkable positioning of watching as each feather grows in strength.

To take the perspective that everything is happening for you may just take you to grace, peace and serenity.

Your wings are being built for you… can you see them? Are you looking intently for each gift being given to you in each moment? Or are you seeing the earth move toward you at the speed of light as you grasp for some semblance of control? Is the picture too big? How might you shrink it down to allow visibility of the gifts in each millisecond of your life?

Here’s to your greatness,

Misti Burmeister