Anyone that has flown a kite knows that you cannot force the kite to take flight.

The conditions have to be just right for your outing to be enjoyable and not stressful.

Recently we went kite flying; it was my boy’s first experience.

It was a “disaster.”

We broke our 7-year-old favourite kite’s spine just as we were getting started. But we were lucky that we have spare with us.

It’s been a while since we went kite flying, It took us several attempts to hook the kite up. Finally, we successfully launch our kite high up in the air.

As we enjoyed the windy afternoon watching our kites dance and swoop, it caught up with others and got tangled. We tried to “save” our kites but the strong wind continues to whip our kites around and around and it gets more and more tangled.

Before we knew it, it snapped!!!

Off our kite fly up and away! I chased it down, as it landed at the other end of the field that was a barricade [a sign to with no trespassing]. I was scared, fear to be caught, yet at the same time determined to get out kites. I decided to climb over the barricade [all I focus on was not to disappoint my boy].

I picked it up as fast as I could, climbed back over, took it back, fixed it, and tried to relaunch it.

We weren’t in our best luck…., it got more challenging as the wind direction had changed. It got so hard for us to relaunch the kites. The more I tried, the more my frustration got at me.

I tried to tame that emotion that started to overpower me. At that moment, I thought, perhaps the kites are teaching me to be patient [something that I am still working on improving].

I tried to calm down, tapping into my conscious brain. As I cleared my thoughts, I realized that all I need is to “Pivot!” for the kite to catch the wind.

I started to scan for the direction of the wind, shifted my position a little, run a little, and when I feel that solid wind coming my way, I launched the kite and whooped, and our kites go up again. 

Such is life. Sometimes the direction we are standing in isn’t going quite right; all it takes is a slight shift in gears.

Learn to scan for the opportunity: Scan by researching new and related skills. Identify and plug the skills gaps. Have a conversation with people around and explore mapping potential opportunities.

Next, run a series of pilot experiments to test the new direction. Gather any real-time data and feedback that allow you to adjust incrementally as you go, instead of relying on blind leaps.

Once a strong foundation is created, the next move is to launch.

It was such a rewarding day. My boy was able to see how even in a difficult situation if we learned to scan for opportunities, be patient, and lunch at the strongest moment, we will experience success.