Healthy Attitudes and Airplanes

I like watching big airplanes fly. The bigger, the better. I find it mesmerizing and inspirational.

I read that airplanes have attitude. In aviation, attitude is defined by pitch, roll, and yaw. Airplane attitude is how the plane is positioned in reference to the horizon: pitch is nose down or up; roll is wings tilted down right or down left; yaw is nose of the plane turned to the left or the right. In an airplane, not maintaining proper attitude is disorienting, dangerous, and potentially fatal.

A fun digression. Airplane attitude has similarities to the inner ear system of balance. The inner ear contains three semicircular canals in the three planes of space which help determine balance in regards to gravity— one for up/down, one for left/right head twist, and one for left/right head tilt. Like an airplane, these balance tubes allow the human to detect their position in space. Improper sensations in the balance canals will cause dizziness and vertigo and a sense of being off balance; if severe, the person will be dysfunctional. 

Improper airplane attitude and inner ear imbalance are both disorienting. Also disorienting for me is when I have a negative attitude. If I am pitching, rolling, and yawing in my thoughts and words, I am disoriented. I lose my bearings on what is true north. I become confused and internally dizzy. Off balance. My bad attitude is unpleasant for me and others. My unhealthy attitude can become debilitating. Even dangerous to my health.

The Word of God and my relationship with God help in keeping my attitude healthy. Accountable relationships with well-balanced spiritual friends help me change and readjust my attitude. Once adjusted, I feel better. No longer disoriented. Confusion clears out. I become balanced again.