I’ve been suffering with perfection syndrome (the condition where your intention to produce the best possible outcome prevents you from taking action.) If it’s not good enough, I’d rather not do it. Sounds hypocritical since I’ve been preaching the teaching of the book the subtle art of not giving a f*ck, but I just can’t help it. It seems to me as if it’s part of out default setting and requires a deliberate action to overcome.
Study after study, it’s been proven that people favor naturals over strivers.
If people only knew how hard I worked to get my mastery; it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.
Michelangelo
As I’m writing this, I’m trying to dig deep and find the culprit of this phenomena. If I’ll need to come up with answer now, I would say it is because of our concern to our social status, like why bother posting something on social media if it would not get enough likes, comments and/or shares? And there are people who actually delete their post if those arbitrary numbers are not achieved. It’s not stupid or pathetic, they’re just behaving on their default setting. but it needs to be addressed.
Whether we admit it or not, we do things for the admiration, as we try to secure our place on the social hierarchy. If you’re the last person on Earth and everything else is working properly thanks to AI. You can still post pictures, upload videos etc. Would you still take pictures of your meal before you eat it? Would you still film doing stupid things on yourself and to other for views? Would you still strive desperately to visit every countries in the world? At this point you are literally the best on everything, cause no one else is out there to contest it. How does it feel to be the G.O.A.T?
Not everyone is aware that you can deactivate your facebook account and can still access your messenger, with this you can still upload stories bot no one would see it. Would you still do it? why or why not?
A brief introduction of myself, I was born and raised in the Philippines, and moved here in Canada just half a decade ago. Currently I’m pursuing my multi-IFR rating, the last hurdle before I can apply to companies as a Pilot. As a Pilot. Never in my wildest dream, if we go back in time 5 years and beyond and you tell me that I’ll be a Pilot, I’d say you’re crazy. Growing up I find it as an elusive career, so esoteric that I didn’t bother to consider, not to mention financially impossible for me and my family to finance.
But I have not choice.
In 2017 after a failed relationship, I found myself stuck and homesick. Winter is coming and it would be brutal if I don’t do something about it. Back then I was working as a city bus driver, which is a good paying job. A lot of people I know wants to get that job, for the pay and the “secured” retirement, so should I settle to this job and wait until I retire?
August of the same year I decided to start looking for an alternative that would allow me to go back home and hopefully lucrative. First I considered being a nurse, at this point after reading numerous self-help I bought the idea that you can do anything as long as you set your mind to it. Although being a nurse here in Canada would check all the boxes but moving back to Philippines as a nurse would be a financial suicide. How about aviation? It pays good here and everywhere in the world.
Necessity is the mother of adaptation.
It was a hot and sunny day in 2008 when I first experience flying inside this small Cessna 152 with my brother from high-school Derek who’s working on his commercial license at that time. Today he flies for one of the low cost carriers in the Philippines, living the dream. We flew from Pampanga to San Fernando,La Union and back. It was a good experience, except for the scorching heat of Philippine summer.
Derek trimmed the plane so nicely then let me handle the yolk, so nice that no inputs is necessary, but just keep the plane straight and leveled. Though I enjoyed the flight, it still didn’t cross my mind that I’ll be one eventually. After college and hoping from one call center company to another, I remember my father telling me “why not consider being a pilot just like your friend?” as much as I appreciate the confidence he has on me that aptitude is enough to be one, I told him that I don’t want to,“Derek made it because he wants to be one, it’s his ambition to be a pilot, not me.”
Though it may have been a good idea to start earlier, looking back, it is a good decision I did not heed to my father’s suggestion, cause I don’t have the right motivation and enough reason to endure the challenges and failures waiting for me, not to mention the sacrifices I would have to accept. Had I took that offer, I would have quit when things become difficult and frustrating which is almost guaranteed when pursuing a worthy endeavor.
The difference between 2008 and 2017 was, being a pilot is no longer just an option, it became a must. This time, I have more than enough motivation and reason to thrust my way through regardless of the obstacles.
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Pursuing to be a pilot would require a lot of resources, your time, money and attention. It can be a lonely and treacherous endeavor. With the wrong motivation or reason, led a lot of aspiring pilot to quit. Some say it’s the money. Aviation is not cheap but how do you explain people being able to finance a 20 to $30,000 vehicle and cannot pay for $15,000 Private Pilot License? Based on my experience, when people say they don’t have money for something, it’s their subtle way of saying that it’s not important enough for them to spend that much money on it. Some say it’s the time, they have family obligations, a day job etc. When I started until December of 2020, I was a working student, working full time and driving to and from the airport during my break to my lessons (I have 4 hours break as a transit driver.) The problem is a lot people can only preach the word sacrifice but unable to demonstrate it when the situtation requires for it.
Today, 4 years since I started my journey in aviation, I have invested and still investing blood, sweat and tears, literally! to be where I’m today and for the promise of a better tomorrow. Despite of the pandemic impeding my journey and halting a lot of people’s lives, at the end of the day nothing last forever and we will fly again, higher than ever before.
UNDOMESTICATED 