Sweating Through Your Flight Suit
Here is a scene I heard over and over, interviewing Israeli fighter pilots (and I’m sure it’s commonplace in air forces and other combat units all over the world.)
A pilot would describe returning to base after a combat mission. He’d land safely, taxi to a stop; his ground crew would come running to the plane; they’d set the ladder against the aircraft’s flank, open the the cockpit cowling so the pilot could climb out and down … only he, the returning fighter pilot, would be so wrung out emotionally and so shattered with fatigue that he couldn’t get out of his seat.
Ground crewmen would have to literally lift him from under the arms and carry him down to terra firma.
And yet …
And yet, he, the pilot, had completed the mission. He had dropped his bombs, he had fought off enemy attacks in the air, he had done what he was sent out to do.
In such a situation [here is Gen. Ran Ronen on the subject], the pilot’s body will exhibit all the manifestations of fear. His heart rate will soar; his flight suit will become drenched with sweat. But his mind must remain focused. His thinking must stay clear and calm.
I know it’s a stretch to compare what you and I do—safe in our offices with our cups of tea or coffee beside us—with the peril faced by pilots in life-and-death air-to-air combat. But there is, at least metaphorically, a parallel.
You and I deal with panic too. We feel our lives flash before our eyes. Our hearts race, our blood pressure soars, our figurative flight suits become soaked with sweat.
The lesson here is that doesn’t matter. That’s just the body doing what bodies do.
It’s okay to feel terror. It’s okay to break down in tears (as I myself have done countless times). It’s okay to finish the day so weak and limp, you have to pour yourself out of your chair and collapse into the arms of the nearest spouse/wet bar/loyal Labrador.
It’s okay to feel and do all that.
Just keep flying the mission.
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
It’s interesting to think of duality vs non-duality.
Duality: Is the body separate from the mind, a spirit inhabiting “the soft animal of your body” (credit Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese”)? Our bodies doing one thing in response to its internal systems and its external environment, while our minds inhabit a wholly different space? The mind remaining cool and collected while the body fights for survival?
Or non-duality: Where everything is a manifestation of a uniform substrate, taking different forms for different purposes. Thinking of ice, water, and steam, as an analogy.
Contemplating it seems to be a fundamental part of the ride. I love Wednesday mornings.
Joe,
Thanks for the thought provoking comment.
Just beautiful, Steve; poignant and super helpful. Thank you.
And to others this seems like self-inflicted pain. No one asks us or requires us to write or create. In regards to writing I have been told “who cares? It’s not like your next meal depends on this.” “If it’s not fun right now, then don’t do it.” “Save it for retirement when you have more time.”
Writing Wednesdays gets it.
Sam you remind me of Stephen King in ‘On Writing’ saying that he was asked why he chose to write horror, and his response: “What makes you think I have a choice?”
Right! Or David Mamet’s … “I write for the same reason a beaver eats wood, if I don’t my teeth will grow too long and poke through my brain.”
After Philippe Petit had spent 45 minutes tightrope walking back-and-forth between the twin towers at 110 stories (illegally), he was asked why he would even attempt such a thing. His reply?
“There is no why.”
This is beautiful today. My eyes watered. Thank you, Steven. I enjoy reading the comments, too. You guys all rock.
Kate, your latest, “The Fog.” is really good.
Joe, thank you so much! I finally had the guts to put my vocals more up front in the mix. You writing this means a LOT!! I appreciate you listening and commenting!
So good!
Glued to the mission . . .
Everything is against us… dangers everywhere. Distractions that lead to more distractions. New things and experiences that have nothing to do with the book but need time. A mind that -at least for me, today- doesn’t want to concentrate at all and is prone to pleasures -technology brought the best pleasures in front of us, we don’t even have to leave our chair. Low stimuli – high importance things versus High stimuli – Low importance things.
But we keep on flying.
We must not try, we must do. When we try, the possibility of failure is opened. The important thing is to sit to that chair, that cockpit. No life-and-death stimuli too, which makes it easier to leave the cockpit.
Thanks dear Steve! My best wishes to all the company here, everyone.
When a pilot is given the option of whether or not to wear a flight suit, it is a matter of personal preference. Some pilots will never fly without one, while others will die in one! The ‘top gun’ flying suit is more than just eye contact, and it’s not just worn by fighter pilots. https://www.logosymmetry.co.uk/ The majority of utility helicopter and aircraft pilots wear it as part of their corporate uniform, but why?
I think that perhaps enlightenment would help humanity to reduce the number of wars. I know that people are very aggressive animals, and this aggression needs to find a way out, but perhaps the answer to this question lies outside the realm of killing other people. We could be doing something more constructive or interesting. There are many different activities that help to cope with your aggression and not bring harm to anyone. You can play sports, or choose card games like blackjack at https://blackjack77australia.com/ and strive to beat the dealer, or practice your game strategies. Anything will be more constructive than military action.
So, whether you’re looking for someone To Do My Course or That providing writing services and assisting scholars with their projects is one of our specialties. What should you do if you want skilled teaching assistance? When students are stuck with their projects, we aid them in discovering answers to exercise questions.
Your article is so convincing You’re doing a great job Man keep it up.
The green label is considered to be the entry-level whiskey for Tullamore Dew and is often the most common bottle in both on and offline stores. It’s a relatively smooth Irish https://thefixerwhiskey.com/old-crow-whiskey-review/ whiskey with a definite sweetness to it and an almost oaky finish which leads you to believe it’s not mashed or distilled all in malted barley as you would expect from a budget Irish whiskey set at this price point.
Interesting article. Your content ranged a teaching. Impressive. Pay To Take My Online Class
is too famous to pass up this site, especially if you want to meet Ukrainian women and men online (because the IC platform is quite popular in Ukraine.) This Ukrainian dating site is especially good for people who need quality matching and who are ready to answer plenty of questions: proper matchmaking is impossible without providing enough personal details. And that is what the majority of the brides in ukraine users do, which is great.
Great article, lots of information to read. no longer update thanks
Just beautiful, Steve; poignant and super helpful. Thank you. pva Gmail accounts
This is beautiful today. My eyes watered. Thank you, Steven. I enjoy reading the comments, too. You guys all rock.
buy bulk instagram accounts
Buy Instagram pva accounts
This is a fantastic and quite useful article for me. Thank you so much for all of your hard work in giving such excellent information! Air separation system
Thanks for this incredible post. You made some valid points here which am sure will really help the public.
Traveling is quite a tiring activity especially when the food of the flight isn’t meet your expectations. Therefore, I ordered all my favorite meals from Karachi Restaurants, packed them in my hand carry so that I enjoyed my long flights with my favorite meals.
Informative content. Butcher Supplies
Great post thanks for sharing. Roofers in Edinbugh
This is a fascinating article. Your content was educational. Impressive. Funeral Directors Falkirk
Thanks for Sharing Great post Roofers in glasgow
This is a fantastic and quite useful article useful article for me. Thank you so much for all of your hard work in giving such excellent information!
Thanks for Sharing Great post! We are Falkirk based roofers who have experience working on a range of projects, from small residential repairs through to large industrial development. Our team ranges from fully qualified tradesmen to apprentices and we operate across Falkirk, Stirling and have a fully trained team helping us achieve excellent results, quickly and professionally in roofers Linlithgow
Thanks for your sharing !
In my driving school known as https://www.connectdrivingschool.co.uk/ in the UK, you can choose from manual or automatic driving instructors to improve your driving skills.
If you need to learn about new things so you should read blogs. It will help you to understand different perspectives of life.
It’s been a really inspiring story and really informative for us and
I am sure that we will find great information.https://editinghelp.co.uk/
Thanks For The Information!
NJB Roofing & Son LTD is a family-owned, serving the Greater Boston area for more than 35 years. ROOFER IN WATLINGTON NJB specializes in providing quality roofing, gutter installation, and related services to homeowners. From sound advice on the best products for your project to planting grass in orchards and custom building, NJB has a vast array of knowledge and experience at your disposal
TPS is an authentic and trusted world food supplier, with a portfolio of 200 SKUs in the food and non-food industries. Based in Glasgow, our wholesale operation includes sourcing products from various international suppliers, distributing them to customers across the UK. Hog Casing Glasgow
Sweating smells a lot I understand for that you need to keep nice perfumes in your LOUIS VUITTON FLOWER TOTE MONOGRAM CANVAS so it will help you to be confident.
naber
telegram kanalları
telegram grupları
Resin driveways, block paved driveways, tarmac driveways, and elevated patios, line marking are all areas of expertise for Safeway Driveway Services. We have been offering our services in all main locations of London, including Chelsea, Canary Wharf, Putney, Finchley, Richmond, Hounslow, Chertsey, Escorts, Virginia Water, and Lambeth. We have a skilled team capable of handling any project, and all work is completed to the highest standards possible and is backed by an installation guarantee. When you search Driveway Companies Near Me, we are the first result.
WEBSITE:
https://safewaydriveways.com/
Bottle In A Box is proud to be the UK’s premier online alcohol gift shop. Our aim is to create the ideal gifting experience for both the person giving and the person receiving our gifts miniature spirits. Offering a wide range of choice, our team has carefully selected and paired each drink with expertly chosen mixers and accompaniments, ensuring that your loved ones receive gifts that are perfect for them.
Safeway Driveways Yorkshire is well known for offering incredibly high-quality surface services in all areas to clients who are both household and commercial. driveway services
A Richmond resin-bound driveway can be built by Safeway Driveways for a very affordable price. In addition to Richmond, we also offer our services in Canary Wharf, Putney, Finchley, Tarmac Driveways in Hounslow, Chertsey, Escorts, Virginia Water, and Lambeth.