Shifting Perspective
By: Emily Robertson, MA, LMFT, RPT
Earlier this spring, I had the incredible opportunity to “check off” a major bucket list item for me: a hot air balloon ride in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. This area is home to more hot air balloon flights than any other location in the world, averaging over one hundred and fifty flights per day! I saw pictures of this almost ten years ago and knew that I HAD to do this if ever given the opportunity. I signed up our group of four for a large balloon that could hold up to 16 individuals. Eager to get into the air, we left our hotel around 5:00 in the morning to be in the air by sunrise. I had only felt a sense of excitement about this experience in the months leading up to that day...until, of course, about ten minutes prior to our takeoff!
As I started to watch the other balloons taking off, it occurred to me that, unlike my other experiences with heights- hiking and standing on top of tall buildings and mountains, or being safely encapsulated by the metal structure of an airplane or ferris wheel- this experience would involve floating in a giant basket through the air without any sort of protection or sense of “sturdy ground”. It surprised me how quickly my excitement morphed into anxiety right at the moment we were set to enter that giant basket with all of the other passengers! And before I even had a moment to process, we were up, climbing higher and higher into the sky with only one other balloon in the distance rising at the same time and at a similar altitude. I found myself looking down into the basket, watching the flames shoot into the large balloon, and staring anxiously into the vast, empty dark sky…it was thrilling and SO frightening at the same time. The notion that we could so easily fall, could so easily drift into “space”, began to cloud my thoughts, and I even found myself questioning the pilot’s competence (I mean, how much training did he have exactly? What sort of license or education is even required for such a profession?!). In that moment, I made a conscious decision to shift my focus. I realized then and there that I could either focus on my fears—the basket, the mechanics of this flight and all the "what-ifs" swirling in my mind-or I could focus on the beautiful landscape unfolding beneath and all around us. I could take in the incredible once-in-a-lifetime view, or I could cling to my doubts and anxiety. The moment I decided to shift my focus to the view, to trusting the pilot and experiencing the shared joy of my fellow passengers, I experienced the gift of presence like never before.
This adventure was such a beautiful reminder that so often our ability to enjoy and experience the fullness and joy of our own lives is born from a shift in focus and, to some degree, our sense of trust and community with the “passengers” surrounding us. When life feels heavy, it’s important to acknowledge that we are not the lone passengers, that we can trust the process or divine presence we have faith in, and that we shift our focus from what we are leaving behind and all of the potential “what-ifs,” to focusing on the beauty that lies ahead and all around us. We can notice the small moments, small blessings of our day-to day lives. We can choose to ground ourselves from a place of trust rather than a place of uncertainty or fear. And this decision likely isn’t one we will make just one time, but a helpful “reset” we can choose to practice day by day, hour to hour, or even moment to moment. We can work to find joy in the experiences of others when it is difficult to find our own, being grateful all the while that we are never alone in our “basket”-that we have a community to share in life's uncertainties with each day. May we always choose to trust our pilot, to find community and shared strength in our fellow passengers, and to experience the full depth and breadth of the beauty that surrounds us.
Wishing you a safe and beautiful “flight”,
Emily
