As soon as I was invited to Oprah’s house on a private jet, I noticed my excitement and fear. “Wow,” my little boy said, “this is cool – no lines, no security barriers, I’m like royalty!” Then the fear arose: “what if I love the private jet, will I feel pressure to buy one?” I’ve always believed that “you get what you pay for.” Would I get exponentially more pleasure from this ride than a coach seat on Jet Blue? Cause that’s how much it costs to ride on a jet-exponentially more than a commercial plane. “You get what you pay for” influenced me to buy a luxury car I didn’t need and sold one year later, work non-stop to make more money to afford things I thought I’d need, overbuy clothes just because they’re higher quality, put rich people on pedestals and feel separate from and less than them and consequently feel better than low income people – not a great strategy for developing friendships and business connections.
Like many of us, I got the message as a young child that there is something magical about rich people and the services and products they use.
So, back to the airplane. We arrive at the private hangar, park, wait 15 minutes in a reception area, then board the plane. No security lines, no i.d. check, no safety announcement, no baggage screening or metal detectors. They invite you on board, then immediately, without a word from the pilot (Doesn’t anyone care if we buckle up? Apparently not.) we’re moving and up in the air. Hey, I can see the pilot right through the open door! The time from parking the car to departure is a total of 20 minutes. Try to replicate that in a relaxed, stress-free manner on a commercial flight.
I sit. I feel my knees touch the opposing knees of the tall fellow facing me. Yes, we’re sitting sideways and we’re tilting left as we ascend. I smile and realize “Hey, even coach class on a commercial flight has more leg room and at least I’m always facing forward!” Here, only four of the sixteen passengers are faced forwards. What a relief. I can scratch “private jet” off Santa’s list.
Then I laugh. The kid wanted a private jet and the adult found reasons to reject it. I witness these feelings of excitement, fear of being greedy, and just plain fear. The kid wants it all. I don’t try to squash the greed or subdue the fear. I befriend the twins and start to feel spaciousness in my mind. An openness ensues which allows me to enjoy the moment without the attachment to or rejection of any future actions. Just enjoying the kid and allowing the twins to hang out in the presence of joy. Fear, greed, joy all together now. If they can co-exist, I can allow myself the gift of this moment. The freedom of feeling joy now, of enjoying the wonder of flight without any thought or need for another private jet in my life. OK, now I’m getting this money madness thing down.