Flying With Faith, Not Fear

"I don't live in fear. All good experiences have come from trusting the universe. There is no other way to live or love."  Olivia Wilde

My faith and trust in the universe continues to deepen; especially during uncertain times. This inspiring quote from one of my favorite celebs, the lovely Olivia Wilde, arrived right on time. Five minutes later would have been too late…

Chock another one up for Olivia.

I loved her sassy, self-assured, yet deeply sensitive character on the emmy award winning show, "House." I recall, on a number of occasions thinking, " I could totally see myself being friends with her." There was just something about "13″, beyond her  television character that connected with me; I understood her ways and means, always staying true to herself; her Sat Nam! In real life, she follows Buddhism, which explains a lot. Of course, I was terribly disappointed when she was written off the show. It's frustrating when people we admire and love (real or fantasy) are just gone…poof!

Already anxious boarding our flight back to the "D" yesterday, I begrudgingly stepped aboard.   Unfortunately, Steve would be sitting 20 rows behind me in economy class; me, more comfortably perched in first. Steve (a Jewish mentsch) insisted I take his seat knowing that I would feel safer seated toward the front of the plane. I could have been sitting on the pilots lap; it wouldn't have mattered because it was not my husband. Anyhow, I got myself situated with a magazine, good book and a few other necessary comfort items. The guy seated next to me never said hello, smiled, or even looked my way. Not very gracious really (certainly not comforting), seeing I had just thoroughly disinfected his seat and surrounding area.

My always joyful, dependable girlfriend responded to my winy text, "just relax AL, maybe his wife just died!" Really Joy?  One of my yoga teachers often reminded us that practicing kindness and compassion on the mat especially when we are crammed in a space like sardines, was the "right path." He'd say, "you never know who you are practicing next to, or what their story is. Compassion is key. Give them space."  A little piece of wisdom I have carried with me since that time.

Okay, back to relying on my good ole self and a simple mantra I created several years ago (a time when I was terrified of flying) to help calm my nerves and control negative mind altering thoughts or to ease discomfort. I don't fly in a plane or anywhere else without it – ever!

With my seatbelt fastened and my feet firmly grounded, I close my eyes and start focusing on my breath. I also hold three charms that hang on a necklace that I only wear in flight; a Ganesh (remover of obstacles), A Fluer-de-lis, and a heart, which represents my loved ones.

My Mantra:

I am Peaceful

I am Calm

I am Safe

That's it! Simple, right?

I inhale through my nose as I say this slowly to myself and repeat on the exhale. Sometimes for 5 minutes, many times for an hour if I'm experiencing turbulence. As was the case on the plane yesterday.

As I was saying, Olivia Wilde's words arrived right on time. No sooner did I get myself cozy the pilot spoke to us; loud and clear! He actually used the word "intense" to describe the degree of turbulence we would be experiencing for the next thirty or so minutes. Seriously? Intense? Shit! He gave us about five minutes of lead time – to prepare! That's when I looked down at the magazine page on my lap and saw this:

"I don't live in fear. All good experiences have come from trusting the universe. There is no other way to live or love."  I ripped it out of the magazine and set it on my lap. I read it over and over again. And then the bumps came…

Comforted by this quote, I closed my eyes and took three very deep breaths before I flew away with my mantra. Occasionally I would open my eyes and see the words, "trust the universe."  I gave myself up to the heavens and beyond; which allowed me to let go of my crazy thoughts and fears. What else is a girl to do? For me, there is no other way to live or love!

P.S.  After three glasses of wine the man next to me acknowledged my presence with a warm, friendly smile. And, he spoke …"Hello, I didn't mean to ignore you. Thanks for cleaning my seat. You can catch a really bad cold on these planes."  I just smiled back and said, "your welcome." Btw, his wife is very much alive. She was sitting across the aisle from him with their daughter.

Today, I trusted the universe and the universe had my back.

Always love,

Allison

This post was originally published on Allison's website, Askinyourface.com