What Kite-Flying Taught Me About Life
5 lessons learned in childhood that I can apply as an adult.
As a kid growing up in India in the ’90s I had a lot of free time. There were no cell-phones back then and we had to step out of the house to meet our friends or do something fun or play. It is in the ’90s that I learned how to fly a kite. I did not know it at the time but that week-long experience was teaching me a lot about life during my adult years.
Here are five things I learned about life while learning to fly a kite!
1. Have a strong desire. Know what you want.
As a teenager, I used to see a lot of people around me fly kites with ease and they seemed to enjoy themselves. Wanting to fit in, as any teenager does, I suddenly had this burning desire of wanting to fly kites as well.
I wanted to look cool, just like all my other friends! This strong desire pushed me into seeking out the right people who would likely teach me the basics or at the very least tell me what to do to get started. Another lesson here is that your association plays a major role in the direction you choose in life.
Have a strong desire that will drive you to take action.
2. Associate with those who can help you grow.
My strong desire was to look and feel cool. So the first thing I started doing was to hang out with those who I found cool. These kids knew how to set up a kite and raise it up miles high all while drinking a cool drink or chewing gum! I was in awe — as if I was in the company of a magician!
I observed how they threaded the kite, tied the knots and rolled the twine. I saw how they used the wind to maneuver the direction while slowing letting go of the fine thread so the kite could catch the air. I observed how they deftly swiped another kite in the heavens in a battle and saw them celebrate the victory.
Your association plays a major role in the direction you choose in life
3. Get the tools necessary. Don’t wait for them to fall into your hands.
While I did a lot of observing, all I was really doing was waiting for one of the kids — whom I had newly befriended to offer me a taste of how it feels. Talk about passively waiting for life to become better! I was basically ignored because I was on the sidelines only watching.
The first thing I did when I went back home that evening was to ask my parents for a kite! I figured, that I needed to have my own tools if I am to learn this new skill. For me to enjoy achieving my goal I needed to own the achievement process.
Owning the tools gives you ownership in achieving your goals.
4. Learn the basics the hard way. Success becomes much sweeter then.
Once I had my kit, I went to work imitating what I had seen the other ‘cool kids’ do. I threaded the kite just right! I knotted the line almost to perfection. I know all the cool symbols and lingo. There was only one problem! I didn’t know how to get that kite off the ground.
I tried. I promise you, I tried! I raised the kite and tugged on the string… and the kite would crash towards the tarmac with a purpose! As if it was designed to do that. The harder I pulled the stronger the crash. I had done everything I had seen. I had imitated everything to perfection. What was I missing?
Imitation will get you started, but only knowledge will get you off the ground.
5. Find help. Get a mentor or guide. Even if it is for the smallest thing.
I had to swallow my ego and ask for help. The cool people that I had observed all day not too long ago had to know something that I wasn’t paying attention to. I needed to grow and know more about this kite flying business.
One burly guy was very nice and gave me a crash course. It was amazing! Turns out there I WAS missing a key! I learned that a kite only moves in one direction — the directions its nose is pointed to. When you tug on the string while the nose points to the sky, the kite goes upward… you pull when it points to the ground, guess what happens? WOAH! No wonder my kite wanted to dig a hole in the ground.
Sometimes all you need to soar in life is pointing your nose in the right direction.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to let you know — those twenty minutes changed my childhood! My kite flew high and my confidence even higher. I could also be one of the cool kids. I could also raise a kite while chewing gum! I could also celebrate victories in kite battles.
We have to realize that most of everything we need to know about life we learned in childhood. It’s just a matter of reflecting and making the right connections to current situations.
What are some lessons you have learned in childhood that can be applied as adults? Do share in the comments.