My Favorite Parenting Advice
Parenting is hard. Really hard. By the time we have kids, most of us haven’t figured out what we want from our own lives after decades of trying. Yet, somehow…
Sometimes You Gotta Make a Mess to Make Something Beautiful
Life is messy. We spend our time trying to organize the chaos into something recognizable, but messiness will always be part of it, especially when we start…
Why You Must Believe in Yourself
There are probably many people in your life who believe in your ability to succeed. Mom or dad or the significant other. But those...
What to Do if You Want the Benefits of Meditation but Have Trouble Doing It
Does the world really need another post on meditation? Probably not. But there’s a reason it gets lots of attention...
Mistakes Fuel Growth (The Pianist Who Almost Wasn’t)
Hate making mistakes? Me too. But unless you never attempt anything hard, making mistakes comes with living a full life. I've made a lot of them, but I'm lucky…
Procrastination Paradox: Why Done is Better than Great
Procrastination sucks. If there is one thing that has slowed me down in life more than I care to admit, even though I’m doing so now, it’s procrastination.…
Talk Some Nonsense Into Me
For readers who know me only from the blog, in my other life I run an information technology firm that helps multi-billion dollar organizations make better…
Three Concepts Aspiring Writers Should Know (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
More people than you’d think harbor dreams of writing. This is apparent to me because when someone learns about my experience, I often hear...
How to Rise Above the Storm Clouds in Life
How do you feel when you walk outside to a bright blue sky? Good? I do. What if the day is dark, with rainclouds hanging low? Different feeling, right? I like…
The Best Ways to Find Shark Teeth at the Beach
I’ve been addicted to hunting shark teeth on beaches for a long time. The activity is meditative and helps clears my mind, at least until exhilaration spikes…
Why You Should Keep a Journal and How It Will Change Your Life
If there is one activity that has vastly improved my life in multiple ways, it’s journaling. I’ve mentioned this to numerous people who’ve asked me for success…
What Fills Your World?
I sometimes envy people who travel the world with everything they own slung over their shoulders in a backpack. How carefree it must be to only keep up with…
A Course in Nature
From the deck of our oceanfront rental, I watched my boys play in the sand. “Play” is probably the wrong word. Looked more like work to me. Shovels and elbows…
When a Flaw Becomes a Strength
I drive through an old neighborhood on my way to the office and back every day. It’s the highlight of my commute because I like to pass under the sprawling…
Watch the Moments
Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. My friend’s dad used to say that often. It sounds old-fashioned in this day and age. Most…
No Coincidences
Have you ever watched a movie that follows multiple characters over a period of time as they unknowingly weave in and out of each others lives? Then fate…
The Bright Side of Storms
Pilots of small planes give thunderstorms a wide berth. Accidentally flying into a brewing system is feared by many aviators and I’m no exception. But in my…
A Magical Power
Hundreds of years ago, remote communication on earth didn’t extend beyond smoke signals, drums in the night, or the written and spoken word traveling vast…
How to Foster Peace and Limit Stress
When I started training for my pilot license, I was amazed at how I felt after a flight ended. If I ever lifted off from a bleak world, one drained of color…
Remember What You Came Here to Do
I’m a sucker for a distraction. I often walk into my home office with a specific purpose in mind only to waste precious time doing something unplanned. Maybe…
Get Out of Your Head
“Stop staring at the instrument panel,” my flight instructor said, finger pointing to the blue stretch of sky beyond the windshield. “Everything that makes…
What Some Call Failure, the Successful Call Experience
Failure can be a scary thing. Most of us sense it lurking at the edge of anything important we try to accomplish. It also has a particular sound to it, our own…
The Current of Life
In my last post I promised ideas to help you flow with life versus forcing it. If you’ve been trying to force life to happen on your terms…
Life Flows
Continued from Life Force: There must be an easier way. Those words sifted through my mind five years ago as I sat on the front steps of my office…
Life Force
I’ve penned Lessons from the Cockpit for over four years and in all those posts I don’t believe I’ve written one as important as this. If I’ve cultivated any…
Raising Fools – Part 2
Continued from Raising Fools - Part 1 I’m lying with my upper back flat while the rest of me twists to the left, right knee almost touching down to…
Raising Fools
We have three boys, all with different personalities yet similar in so many ways. When the oldest was eleven or so, I’d often walk into the family room to find…
Expand Your World
Conventional wisdom says aquarium fish only grow as large as the tank will support. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m willing to bet it’s spot on for humans…
The Transmission of You
For those of you who still listen to the radio, perhaps you have a favorite station you tune in to on the way to work everyday. What if a runaway truck…
Let Nature Spill In
Our upstairs air conditioner stopped working one Friday evening in late May. I almost called the repair guy but held off. Waiting until Monday meant a cheaper…
Nothing is Impossible
What in your world do you define as impossible, that you wish weren't? To make a living as a painter? To run your own business? To travel 100 million light…
An Empty Space
I never thought about the old man until I’d see him on my way home. If the weather was good, he’d be there, sitting on his porch at the intersection of Lake…
No “L”
It looked as if a forest had exploded. Green pine needles littered our carpet with a trail of them scattered throughout our foyer. This was the beginning of…
No Small Lives
A great actor can transform a bit part into something amazing and memorable. That is why the acting great Stanislavsky said, “There are no small roles, only…
Book Recommendation: “Lessons from the Monk I Married”
I’ve been running full steam over the last six months with a new business but finally found some time to read Katherine Jenkins’ new book, Lessons from…
Movie Lessons: Almost Famous
My friend, David Horne, occasionally writes a “Movie Lessons” segment for his blog. I love these and constantly nag him to write them more often. So, while I…
Free the Fireflies
Summer always reminds me of childhood when I would play outside with friends until dusk and beyond. On many evenings when the light faded, the soft glow of…
Live Outside the Lines
Life on the ground is often rigid. We spend the better part of our days living between the lines, whether it’s the boundaries of a house or office, the narrow…
From a Distance
As I neared my speaking venue, I suddenly regretted not making time to wash my car. The thin film of dust on the vehicle’s black hood looked even worse through…
Eyes High: A Simple Mood Lifter
Whenever I lift my eyes toward the sky, my mood improves. I noticed this a long time ago and have always assumed my fondness of that vast expanse above…
Lego Wasteland
Susan and I spent a recent Saturday cleaning out a few closets in dire need of organizing. One of the closets was in the kid’s playroom, which doubles as an…
Do It Your Way
Six years ago, three friends and I spent a week paddling fifty miles in canoes on the Green River. The stretch of water winds through the Utah desert and…
A Double Life
I have a secret to share: I’ve been leading a double life. For many readers of this blog, I’m Christopher Laney, writer. But there’s another side to me: Chris…
The Write Motivation
If you've ever checked out the other tabs on Lessons from the Cockpit, you may have noticed my writing class titled The Write Motivation. I've taught the class…
Guest Post at EXTRAordinary! Inc.
This week I have a guest post on EXTRAordinary! Inc., the website of an excellent friend, Rich Schlentz. I first met Rich after he hired my wife as a wellness…
Guest Post on “Lessons from the Monk I Married.”
I'm please to announce my guest post on Katherine Jenkin's blog, "Lessons from the Monk I Married." Katherine spent every single day of 2010 blogging about 365…
Flawed Beauty: Why You Must Embrace Your Imperfections
Several years ago I drove to a friend’s mountain cabin near West Jefferson for ten days to get my novel jump-started. I’d dabbled with the story for a while,…
Act On Your Dreams
Last Friday morning I flew the Cirrus to Charlottesville, VA to visit a buddy of mine, John Hart. John is an excellent friend and wonderful writer who’s had…
Get Uncomfortable
Fitness has been part of my life for a long time. I’ve worked out enough to have a little insight into building muscle. One absolute truth is, muscle doesn’t…
Live Your Future Now
If you suddenly found yourself with enough money so you no longer had to work, what would you do with your time? When I ask that question to a variety of…
Hope for Humanity
There is a person you are meant to be. You know this because you’ve dreamed of it. Perhaps that person is a painter or a photographer. Maybe it’s an…
Life On The Outside
Who knows why most pilots felt the urge to learn to fly? Perhaps some grew tired of staring at cloud bellies and wanted to see their tops. Maybe others vowed…
Time Machine Do Over
A week ago Friday I found myself at an urgent care facility with my 8 year-old, Cort. Less than 20 minutes before, we’d been at the ballpark waiting for his…
Find Your Song
I’ve always loved the quote, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” It gets misattributed…
Spirituality Guest Post
Inspirational speaker and award-winning author Janae Bower co-hosts a blog currently featuring an A-to-Z series on spirituality. This week's letter is "C"—as…
More Stories to Tell
Aviators come from all walks of life with wildly varied personalities. But one thing I’ve noticed is, they all tell great stories. Typically, the longer…
The Downside of Deadlines
In May 2009, I left a high-paying job to write a novel, and I’ve never regretted it one bit. Navigating the traditional publishing route—versus…
Wisdom to Know the Difference
There’s an old aviation joke that gets passed down often. It usually surfaces during the required night flight that every student must take during training.…
The Most Important Promise
Most people I know try to honor the promises they make to others. And if something prevents them from keeping those promises, they feel bad about it. But there…
How to Overcome Doubt
Doubt. It’s arguably the single most insidious obstacle that stands between individuals and their dreams. There’s a wind that’s eager to propel us all toward…
Just . . . Trust
When it comes to chasing our dreams, what are so many of us frightened of? Who made the snide coworker judge and jury? Who made the absent parent, or the…
With a Little Help from My Friends
A few months ago I wrapped up the fall session of the creative writing class I teach. The last night of class always includes a section that covers momentum…
Universal Perfection
Have you ever had moments when you’ve been struck by an intense clarity, a knowing, that we’re all integral parts of something much bigger than we’ve ever…
Detours
If you read Don’t Look Back, you know I don’t spend much time fretting about the past. I’ve made enough stupid mistakes to fret over—trust me on this—but…
Find Your Mantra
I am reposting the piece I wrote as Lesson 221 for writer Katherine Jenkin's blog, Lessons from the Monk I Married. Hope you enjoy it if you didn't already get…
Make the Most of Every Moment
College has been a hot topic in our house. Two weeks ago, we moved TJ, our oldest, into the freshmen dorm at Elon University. He arrived well before the bulk…
Dare to Soar
Lessons from the Cockpit has a blog exchange this week. Seattle writer Katherine Jenkins wrote the great piece below. Her book, Lessons from the Monk…
Lift-Off
I want to take a moment to thank all the readers of Lessons from the Cockpit. Without you, there'd be no lift to make the concept fly. Readership has…
The Real Questions Are…
What do you want to do with your life? What do you really want to do? Why aren't you doing it?
What Boosts You?
My youngest son, Cort, didn’t enjoy his first airplane ride. He was four and from the moment we took off, he kept asking when we’d head home. I tried to stifle…
Connected for Life
I often speak to groups about networking. People think I have a success secret on it. But I’ll tell you the same thing I tell them: I…
Notes from the Universe
I have something to share with you. It’s going to sound strange, but here goes: for a couple of years now, I’ve been getting messages from the universe.…
The Weight of the World
When non-pilots see the plane I fly, they assume it carries a lot. But everything in life, love, and lift is a tradeoff. If I want to take four people on a…
Letting Go – Summer School Final
Ah, Memorial Day Weekend. Although not the official start of summer, the holiday typically heralds its imminent approach. With my favorite season in…
The Sunny Side
Yesterday I was guest speaker at the Greensboro Optimist Club. I gave a speech based on my Follow the Glow post I wrote for Rick Smith, Author…
Colin Hay – A Man Among Men
My music collection is eclectic. If there is one thing in life I strive to be, it’s well-rounded—of the mind, that is, not the body. My favorite artist in that…
Life & Whatnot
When I started Lessons from the Cockpit last year, my goal was simple: write satisfying stories—I hoped—about lessons I'd learned from either flying my plane…
From the Ashes – Summer School Part 4
Several months ago I flew the Cirrus to Montgomery Executive Airport at Virginia Tech to visit my wife on a Saturday night. She spent the weekend training the…
Everyday Magic – Summer School Part 3
When did most of us stop believing in magic? Was it the same time we stopped discovering castles and dolphins in the clouds? Did we come to the conclusion on…
Out of the Cave
I feel as if I've been hibernating for the last few months. As I stumble out to blue skies and bright sun, I know this: It’s good to be back. I’ve missed…
Summer School – Part 2
Second in the summer school lessons series. For part 1, click here. In July of 1990, I had a bad day. The plan called for heels dug into the hot sands of…
Summer School
I miss summer already. Perhaps it’s a holdback from childhood when the last school bell rang and the doors flung wide to spill kids and teens into a June they…
Follow the Glow: How to Discover Your Passion in Life
I'm pleased to announce my article Follow the Glow is featured on Rick Smith's website. Rick is the bestselling author of The Leap: How 3…
The School of Life
There’s no substitute for the school of life. Each of us is enrolled, like it or not. But we should like it. It’s the finest education money can’t buy. Heck,…
Life is Rich
We’ve all heard the maxim, “The best things in life are free.” It’s true. But what about those great things in life that do cost something? I’ve been thinking…
The Passion for Planes, Paintings, and Pets
Passion. It sparks in radiant arcs when you discover it—or it discovers you. When you possess it, you couldn’t hide its warm glow if you tried. Passion spills…
The Space Between Life’s Lessons
Some of you may have noticed a lag between posts recently, which may imply I’m not writing as much. Au contraire. Last week I wrote at least six hours a day,…
Into the Great Wide Now
Flaps, one notch. Mixture, rich. Sky, clear. Throttle, full. Brakes, released. The plane clings to the ground for an instant, Newton and one of his pesky laws…
You Can’t Soar from a Prison Cell
Imagine for a moment you're confined to a prison cell. It’s not the dark, dank room we’ve grown accustomed to expect from the movies, but is instead…
Airport Angel
Sometimes help not only comes when you least expect it, it can arrive in the most unlikely of forms. At least that was my experience three weeks ago when…
Cosmic Signposts
We all receive signs. Some of us just don’t notice. People call them different things: signs from the universe or signs from God. Both terms work for me, but…
Smile and the World Smiles With You
I found myself immersed in a sea of people last week, adrift in the ebb and flow of humanity at O’Hare Airport after I arrived in Chicago. Sometimes it felt as…
Make the Leap – Part 2
When a caterpillar emerges from a chrysalis, does it know it has become a butterfly, or does it make a leap of faith from the empty husk? I not sure we’ll ever…
Make the Leap – Part 1
There is something you were meant to do. The fortunate among us know what that something is and are moving toward their goals. But for every person that has…
Don’t Look Back
Someone once asked me if my airplane had a rear view mirror. While it might be useful for keeping an eye on the kids in the back seats, there’s really no need…
The Holy Ground of Boeing
For those that read Weather or Not, you know I planned to fly myself to Atlanta for the weekend. The universe apparently had another idea for me since a wicked…
Weather or Not…
I’ve been thinking about the weather lately. This weekend, I’ll fly my plane to Atlanta to join my wife at a fitness event where she's a presenter. When you…
The Sky’s NOT the Limit
There’s a saying that’s common. You’ve probably heard it: The sky’s the limit. It’s said to encourage someone, to inspire him or her to aim as high as…
Discover the Hero Within
I’ll let you in on a secret, but don’t laugh. Well…you can laugh, but try not to do it in front of me. Here goes: the reason I learned to fly an airplane was…
Reach Your Dreams: You CAN Get There From Here
One luxury of flying an airplane is you travel straight to your destination. Barring an obstacle along the route, like restricted airspace or an ornery weather…
Find Your Balance to Find Your Wings
Balance is critical in aviation. Flying a plane that has a center of gravity too far forward or aft invites trouble. You can stare at the outside of a plane…
Unexpected Turbulence: Navigating Life’s Jolts
This might come as a shocker, but aviation weather forecasters don’t always get it right. The accuracy level they’ve achieved in recent years is phenomenal,…
Follow Your Inner Compass: How to Listen to the Voice Inside You
If you ask a pilot how he navigates, how he knows which direction to fly, the acronym GPS will probably appear somewhere in the answer. After all, there are no…
Who Stole the Go Signs?
There are no signs in the sky—well, at least no man made signs. I like this. One of the reasons I relish my time in the air is due to the brief respite from a…
Sustain or Drain? Minding the Company You Keep
Flying sustains me. When I walk away from my airplane after a flight, I have tremendous energy, and I’m ready to accomplish anything. Life makes sense, the…
White-Knuckle Living: How to Succeed by Letting Go
Early in my flight lessons, my instructor called attention to the death-grip I had on the plane’s yoke. Looking down at the white knuckles on my left hand, I…
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