A Bird's-Eye View Is the Answer in a Crisis

The difficulties and crises that accompany life often seem stronger than us. They tend to catch us off guard, and take us by surprise when we feel completely unprepared.

We then discover that the armor we’ve wrapped ourselves in, is merely an outer shell, incapable of truly providing the protection we need. This realization challenges our hope and faith in our ability to cope. We feel helpless, stripped of advice, devoid of resources and overwhelmed by the sheer force of the crisis, unsure of where to turn.

If we thought we were capable and unstoppable, if we believed we’d built a solid foundation based on our achievements, if we truly felt like we were soaring, a crisis shows us just how quickly the wind can be knocked from our sails. Suddenly, we find ourselves falling, no longer flapping our wings, lowering our eyes in despair as our world collapses without warning.

The correct way to deal with a crisis is to look at it with the proper perspective, which is only possible when we lift our gaze upward, approach it from a bird’s-eye view, and allow ourselves to see how small the challenge is in the grand scheme of things.

This mental shift grants us a new pair of wings, and with it, the drive to face the next challenge. If we understand that good and bad can coexist in this world, we can also experience moments of joy alongside the challenge.

For human beings, flying is a learned skill.

​Inbal Elhayani, M.A., is a certified NLP practitioner and a guided imagery therapist, writer, and lecturer.