When I was 7, my dad took a sabbatical from teaching to learn how to fly an airplane. I spent much of my childhood as his “co-pilot” enjoying life from a 15,000-foot view. This gave me perspective in ways I didn’t realize until much later in life. If things were bad at ground zero (with kids teasing me at school, etc.) all it took was a flight with dad. After instrument and safety check, we were steadily taxiing down the runway and ready for take-off. Soon everything on the ground below diminished in size and importance.
Within the cockpit of a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche airplane, and the safety of my father’s presence, I could be anything I envisioned, with no judgement, boundaries or bullies. That was the place where I did most of my day dreaming, at an altitude where I could be in a state of perpetual balance and bliss. My goal is to help clients achieve a similar mindset within their own space.
Before I enter a client’s space, I imagine that I’m strapping into the safety of Rocco’s cockpit once again and getting ready to take flight. I often bring a stool to get a higher vantage point (I’ve always been “vertically challenged” - yet another reason I loved being up high in the air) much to a new client’s chagrin. I can imagine them thinking: “why is this tiny human pretending to be the jolly green giant in my living room… Didn’t I hire an organizer to clean out my cabinets and drawers?” If only I could take a picture of their expressions. Despite my diverse palette of clients, the look is usually the same. I’d describe it as a combination of fear, amusement, disbelief and wonderment.
People often get stuck down at lower altitudes, within the details and trials of everyday life, and it prevents them from seeing the potential of their environment. It’s my job to help take them away from the chaos at ground level, to gain a different point of view, without criticism or limits. I invite you to ‘strap into my aircraft’, re-calibrate your lens and begin the gift of letting your space BLOOM.
*Photo credit to @hany.rabah
