Land (or crash) the Plane

I’ve been working on brand strategy and its articulation for the past few days. There are lots of compelling reasons, but the bottom line is that I need to land the plane. And, as my boyfriend says, “be willing to crash it.”

It’s easy for me to stay in the high-altitude world of a generalist; to be good at many things, an expert at none. It feels safer, somehow. Like if I don’t define the thing I do, I can potentially do a ton. Seductive, but not sane. And bottom line, not true to what I am most passionate about, compelled by, and yes, best and most brilliant at.

Playing it safe is just an illusion. The plane has got to land!

It seems safe to consider all options. It seems safe to stay up in the clouds. But eventually the plane runs out of fuel.

Not choosing is dangerous.

Danielle told me over a year ago during our Firestarter Session, “You already know what you do, Ronna. Stop talking about anything else and help the rest of us see what you’re brilliant at!” I’ve heard and read it a million more times since then. I’ve gotten close. I’ve shied away. I’ve buzzed the ground. I’ve pulled back on the yoke and taken yet another pass. Still no landing.

Now, after circling far too long, I come home. Where I began is where I return. What I was most passionate about then remains true. My love remains strong. My ardor has not cooled. And my expertise, specialization, and “brilliance” have only become more visible. No obstructed vision. No turbulence. The landing strip is in view.

So why the hesitation?

I have my own reasons. What about yours? Why are you afraid to land the plane? (And believe me, that plane can represent anything: Relationships. Work. Web Copy. A mission statement. Hard decisions about money. Fill in the blank.)

It’s time to land the damn thing – even crash it!

My hunch is that your reality is similar to mine; staying in a sky of possibilities feels safer than choosing the one thing. You’re not blind: you can see the landing strip. And you’re pretty certain that a smooth touch-down is yours if you wait long enough, deliberate long enough, ponder and muse long enough. But in the meantime, the fuel is running out. And you’re fearful that flames, smoke, and charred bodies await.

I get it.

It’s time, all risks inherent, to land the plane.

Let’s do it together, shall we? Life vests. Oxygen masks. Seats as flotation devices. Land. The. Plane.

• Name what you’re most passionate about, what you desire most deeply, what you’d give anything to have/be/do.
• Name what you’re most afraid of in stating (and living) that such is so.
• And then zero in on those coordinates and bring it home. Right into the eye of the storm, baby.

You might crash. I might, as well. But we’ll be on the ground. Engines screaming. Power contained. Hot. And beyond ready to deplane.

I’ll greet you at the gate.

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Tagged as: ambivalence, brand, choice, crash, deliberate, fear, illusions, options, plane, safe