Stop and Stare at Airplanes

You know the saying, “Stop and smell the roses”? Of course you do. Everyone knows that saying.

I’m not saying we need to get rid of that saying, it serves its purpose in its universality. But I ask, who is stopping to smell roses? Even if they are enjoying their surroundings and the moments of life, I don’t know of people stopping to smell roses.

I’m sure there are people out there smelling roses, maybe, I don’t know. I don’t know any of them.

I propose we update this saying.

When is the last time an airplane flew over your head and you stopped to stare at it?

I’ve tried to make this a habit recently and I advise you to do the same. I think it will change your life. No hyperbole in that statement.

Humans used to be able to look at the stars and feel how vast the universe is and how small we are in it. If you live in a big city, like many of us do, you can’t do that anymore. There are no stars to view at night. How do we get that feeling? How do we regain that awe-like feeling of the vastness and amazingness of the universe?

In a different way, you can look at an airplane flying through the sky and think about how amazing the world we live in is. You will look at cars differently, sidewalk lights differently, and handrails differently. All the things we take for granted become amazing when you stop and think about it.

Stop and stare at an airplane.

Consider that tube of metal hurtling through the air at un-thinkable speeds, with humans inside, traveling thousands of miles in the matter of hours. Think about the world we live in.

It’s amazing.

It’s a miracle.

It’s a gift.

Stop and stare at airplanes.