The Man That Wished He Could Fly.

Almost ten years ago, a certain gentleman sat opposite me and voiced a wish, he wished he could fly.

To those who knew him, he appeared to have everything. He was charming, knowledgeable, and highly successful. People sought out his insight and wisdom. He ran multiple businesses, gave generously as a philanthropist, and carried stories so extraordinary they belonged on a cinema screen. And yet, beneath all of that, there was a burning desire quietly holding him back.

He wished he could fly.

When we sat together for the first time, I was genuinely in awe of what this man had accomplished and what he had overcome in life. But the reason we were there, facing each other across that table, was something he rarely spoke about. He hadn’t been near a plane in years.

There had been a time when flying was simply part of who he was, the businessman stepping onto Concorde, circling the globe more times than he could count. But somewhere along the way, a fear had quietly taken hold, and the skies that had once felt so familiar had become something he avoided entirely.

His friends had tried everything. They had attempted to loosen his nerves with a drink or two. They had even gone as far as arranging a private jet, hoping the exclusivity might ease whatever invisible barrier had formed. Nothing had worked.

In that first Zestfulness session, we talked for almost an hour. I simply listened.

Then I asked him to close his eyes. I invited him to imagine boarding a plane to picture the journey, the landing, and the feeling of stepping off the other side. As he sat there quietly, something shifted. He began to beam. I could almost see a light come into his eyes, a quiet sparkle. In that moment, I knew: he wanted this so badly. The desire was very much alive, it had just needed the right space to breathe.

I had asked him one question: what might be a small step he could take to move one step closer to his goal? Perhaps I could get on a helicopter he replied, quiet, considered, and entirely his own. I left that session knowing we would get there. There was a spark and a fire in him that hadn’t been there before, at least not in relation to this. Looking back, I believe the timing was simply right for him. I never judged him and that mattered greatly, because he had worried I might, as others had. I asked questions rather than giving answers. I never told him what to do or how to do it. He told me the steps he wanted to take, and that is exactly when you know someone is truly ready to achieve what they set out to do.

A little while later, I was out having a drink with my sister and a friend when my phone rang. It was him. Before he had even finished his first sentence, I knew. His voice said everything.

The image of him walking in to tell me his news is one I carry with me still. He was beaming. He stood taller. His eyes sparkled. He had done it, he had got on a helicopter.

Within a month, he had taken his first European flight. He arrived home slightly bewildered and more than a little indignant to discover that you can no longer simply hand your bag to someone to carry onto the plane for you, and that toothpaste, apparently, is a matter of airport security concern. I am still smiling writing this.

He had conquered a secret fear he had barely dared admit to anyone. Now, nearly ten years on, he tells me he is a better person for it. He hadn’t realised, he says, that he hadn’t truly been living his full life. When he faces difficulties today as it does for everyone, he looks back at what he overcame and finds something he can’t quite put into words. A quiet inner knowledge that he will be alright. A strength that was always there, waiting to be remembered.

Over the years, he has also told me something that means a great deal. He has used some of the Zestfulness coaching techniques in business meetings, he highlights the importance of knowing your worth when he mentors those that seek him out. He has encouraged me, more than once, never to give up on Zestfulness.

I am glad I listened to him.

This article has been shared with the client’s knowledge prior to publishing.

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