Lessons from the Sky: Listen and Repeat ✈️

Sep 16, 2025 • ~3 min read

Right now, I’m at a stumbling block—it feels like I’m the only one struggling. My home airport is a little Class G, untowered strip. But my training has moved me into the “big leagues”: Class C, towered airspace.

That first flight into controlled airspace? Let me tell you—it felt like trying to speak a foreign language. The tower rattled off instructions, and I barely understood a word. Second lesson? Not much better. Third lesson? I’ll admit it: I cried on the drive home. The thought hit me hard—Am I really putting everything I’ve got into this dream? Will I ever make it through this dark tunnel?

Throughout the week, I asked other pilots for advice. I picked up little tips, insider knowledge, encouragement. One guy told me, You’re overcomplicating it—the tower works for you. Just repeat what they say back.
Well, thanks Todd, but it’s not that easy!

And yet—maybe it is.

Because isn’t life exactly like this? We overcomplicate things. We hear what people say, but we don’t always listen. We don’t always register it. My parents, grandparents, friends—they’ll tell me: “You’re doing great, May.” “I’m proud of you.” “Your work ethic is amazing.”
And what’s my default response? Yeah, yeah, thanks. I shrug it off like static on the radio.

The solution? Listen and repeat. Don’t just let words pass through—read them back, let them register, let them sink in.

Because the truth is: you are doing great. You are working toward something incredibly difficult. And it shows—because you’re showing up. Most people don’t even get that far.

Flying into a towered airport requires you to repeat back every instruction so you can process it, confirm it, and believe it. Life works the same way.

So, what truths are you ignoring? What encouragement have you brushed aside instead of reading back into your own heart? Next time someone affirms you, don’t dismiss it—say it back. Believe it. Live it.

Because sometimes the clearest lessons come not from the ground, but from the sky.