Mile High: A Protocol for Turbulence

by SMG

Looking out at the clouds from a plane window—a reminder that turbulence in flight, like life, requires calm, focus, and preparation. Window Seat (photo credit: Black and Wanderlust)

Fair to say that most of us have been on some kind of aircraft and heard the same safety instructions repeated with calm authority: At the first signs of turbulence, remain seated and buckle yourself in. In the case of emergency, oxygen masks will deploy from the compartment above you. Secure your own mask before assisting others. Life vests are beneath your seat. Exits are to the right and to the left.

These directions are so familiar they almost fade into background noise. We nod along. We half-listen. We assume we’ll know what to do if something actually happens.

But turbulence is not theoretical.

Turbulence is resistance. A disturbance. A sudden shift against your projected flight pattern. It is unsteady and sometimes violent, caused by changes in pressure, speed, and direction.

Life is no different.

Turbulence comes when you are coasting. When you finally feel steady. When the path seems clear. It shows up as transition, as responsibility, as growth you prayed for but weren’t entirely prepared to carry. It shakes your confidence. It tests your discipline. It exposes whether you are anchored or just cruising.

And in those moments, you have a choice.

You can panic and flail. Or you can stay seated.

“Turbulence does not mean you are off course. It means you are still in motion.”

For me, the instruction that echoes loudest is this: remain seated.

Not frozen. Not passive. Grounded.

Remaining seated means breathing before reacting. It means resisting the urge to make permanent decisions in temporary instability. It means choosing composure over chaos. It means allowing pressure to pass without losing yourself in the process.

There were seasons where I confused movement with maturity. I thought leadership meant always responding, always fixing, always managing. I believed strength was synonymous with speed.

But growth taught me otherwise.

Faith is not frantic. Leadership is not loud. Maturity is not reactive.

Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is sit still while everything around you shakes.

Securing your own oxygen mask is not selfish — it is stewardship. If you cannot breathe, you cannot lead. If you are unregulated, you cannot guide. If you are depleted, you cannot serve with clarity.

So, I have learned to brace differently.

I meditate.

I pray.

I journal.

I seek counsel.

I nourish my body.

I drink water.

I set intentions.

I create.

I recalibrate.

Not because life is calm — but because it isn’t.

That is how I assume responsibility for my calling. That is how I honor the assignments entrusted to me. That is how I remain aligned when pressure tries to distort perception.

Turbulence will come. The question is not if.

The question is whether you will trust the instructions you’ve already been given.

Faith Lesson: What God Was Teaching Me

• Stability is internal before it is external.

• You do not have to react to everything that shakes you.

• Pressure reveals preparation.

• Faith is practiced in disruption, not in ease.

Faith Lesson: What I Had to Unlearn

• I had to unlearn urgency as proof of strength.

• I had to unlearn rescuing before regulating.

• I had to unlearn equating stillness with weakness.

• I had to unlearn the belief that leadership meant carrying everyone else first.

Transformational Practice: If You Are in a Season of Turbulence

• Pause before responding to anything emotionally charged.

• Ask yourself: am I reacting from fear or responding from faith?

• Strengthen your daily disciplines before you strengthen your defenses.

• Tend to your body. Hydrate. Rest. Nourish yourself.

• Remember that turbulence feels worse than it usually is.

You are allowed to steady yourself before steadying others.

Your turn, Black and Wanderlust, where in your life are you reacting to turbulence instead of remaining seated long enough to hear the instructions? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

#frequentflyer #milehigh #turbulence #selfhelp #secureyourselffirst #thenholdontoeachother #love #growth #adulting #responsibleloving #accountable #BlackandWanderlust 

©2018 A Zulu Brownz Ink

All rights reserved

SMG is a storyteller, photographer, and founder of Black and Wanderlust™. She captures life’s adventures and quiet moments alike, blending faith, family, and wanderlust into stories that inspire intentional living and authentic joy.