At one TV station where I worked, I occasionally was able to report from the news helicopter. It was pretty cool having a chance to see an area from a bird's eye view. This was years before budget cuts hit the news business and the helicopter was seen as a way to make viewers fall in love with our station and literally drop their remotes. There was just one problem: I'm afraid of heights. Or more specifically, I'm afraid of falling to my death.
Over time I learned to get more comfortable in the air. I thought as my assignments as free helicopter rides where I had to do a little bit of reporting. After all, people pay big bucks to go up in the air. But one day my courage was put to the test and I learned a valuable lesson.
Helicopters vibrate a lot while flying and sometimes that does some strange things. Like vibrate open the door that I'm sitting next to, while we are in flight. Suddenly, despite the fact that I'm wearing a seatbelt, I no longer feel like I'm inside a protective cocoon. In my mind, I'm inches from falling to my death. The pilot noticed the open door and calmly told me to reach out and close it, like I would in a car... on the ground. So I'm trying to reach the door with as little movement as possible and am failing miserably.
Luckily, the news photographer, who was sitting behind me, had a bit more courage. He easily reached out and pulled the door shut. My nightmare was over.
Here's the point: We all have strengths and weaknesses. It's very likely that someone else can help us with our imperfections. The trick is to swallow your pride and not be afraid to ask for help.
