Hi! I'm AP2. A published author, high-flying aviator and amazing father. Expert in stalling. I combine lessons in aviation with modern psychology to help people navigate their emotions and take command of life.
When Micheal Jordan returned from the NBA after an extended hiatus his publicity manager was unsure how they should announce the news. So, he wrote a number of press releases for Micheal to choose from. But Jordan didn’t like any of them. He said, “I’ll do it myself.” before picking up a pen and writing … More I’m Back
My emotions come at me in waves. Often I’m strong enough to withstand them – to hold the ship steady – but every now and then they catch me with my shields down. I’m swept away. That happened the other day when the movers came in to pack everything up. Seeing my whole life packed … More The Ghosts of My Past
I want to finish this series of posts on personality I’ve put together over the past couple of months by giving you an analogy. To first recap, there are five major personality traits: extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness. Wherever you lie on the spectrum of each trait – whatever the circumstances that shaped you … More The Hand We’ve Been Dealt
Agreeableness breaks down into Compassion and Politeness. Compassionate people are the caring, loving types. They are sympathetic towards other people’s feelings and take an active interest in their friends and families lives. Polite people are very careful with their words. They have a deep respect for authority and hate to seem pushy or impose their … More Agreeableness: The Sacrifice of Self
“Openness is seen in the breadth, depth and permeability of consciousness, and in the recurrent need to enlarge and examine experience.” – MCCRAE & COSTA, 1997, P. 826 Openness (which is actually Openness to experience) breaks down into Intellect and Openness. Intellects like grappling with ideas. They love to solve complex problems and debate philosophical matters. … More Openness: The Gates of Mind
The Benefits of Conscientiousness Conscientiousness can be broken down into the following two aspects: Industriousness and Orderliness. Those who score high in Industriousness are driven, focused and determined. They finish what they start. I’m sure you’ve all heard of the buzzword known as Grit? Well, it’s the same thing. Those high is Orderliness want everything … More Conscientiousness: The Ruthless Pursuit of Order
The Cost of Consciousness Neuroticism is the trait associated with negative emotions. It can be broken down into the following two aspects: Volatility and Withdrawal. Those high in withdrawal may be described as anxious, self-conscious, depressive and easily overwhelmed. Whereas those high in volatility may be described as touchy, irritable and unstable. In contrast, those … More Neuroticism: The Cost of Consciousness
What Is Extraversion? Extraversion breaks down into the following two fundamental aspects: assertiveness and enthusiasm. Those high in assertiveness are the take-charge types. The so-called natural-born leaders. The game-changing alphas. (It’s a valuable trait for a pilot, I might add.) Those high in enthusiasm are talkative and charismatic. They’re the life of the party. The ones who … More Extraversion: The Price of Now
An introduction to the Big Five Personality Model: How it developed, why it’s reliable and how to use it to understand yourself. … More The Big Five Personality Model: An Empirical Tool for Understanding Yourself
I recently completed a course on personality theory that I found infinitely fascinating. Today I want to share some thoughts about how this understanding can help us better navigate in the world. You can think of personality as the lens through which we view the world. It functions by filtering the world so we only … More Why Understanding Personality Is Key to Increasing Potential
We’re all looking for that Goldilocks position in life. That ultimate purpose specifically suited to our own unique talents and values. Of course, we want to maximise our potential to do the most possible good. This is why many of us have this gnawing sense that the job we’re in isn’t quite right. We feel … More Where We Are Meant To Be
So my muse decided to take a holiday recently. He packed his bags and went to Hawaii or somewhere. And I know he’s been sitting in the sun drinking Pina Coladas the whole time. That smug bastard. Now, I should say I told him to take a break. The problem is, I’ve found it hard … More A Creative Leave of Absence
Beware fear disguised as optimism. “There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine any way.’ Either way, nothing happens.” — YVON CHOUINARD Most of us don’t call fear out for what it … More Fear-Setting: A powerful exercise for making major life decisions.
If you think back to the Middle Ages and compare what we know now to what we thought we knew then, you’ll probably come to the conclusion that we weren’t terribly smart. That most of what we thought we knew about the world was patently wrong. It seems obvious to us now that the earth … More Why Being Wrong Is Right
“War would end if the dead could return.” — Stanley Baldwin. Just imagine you wake up the following morning to the sound of bombs exploding and artillery firing. The enemy has invaded. You didn’t think it would ever happen, but there you are. Suddenly you’ve been thrown back into the 1940s. Now, what do you do? Do … More Must We Not Fight for Peace?
I have two images of wealth in my mind. One looks like what most people envision. A lavish lifestyle, a big plastic mansion, a luxury yacht, 8 sports cars… You get it. Then there is this second image. In this picture, there is a place called home. It’s quaint, rustic. Filled with messy, silly, somewhat annoying … More The Two Paths to Wealth
I haven’t been myself lately. The unrelenting madness at work over the past couple of years has taken a toll. I decided I needed some time to clear the storm clouds that have gathered inside my mind. I realised I’d been too close to everything at work. So, I called the doc and went on … More How To Gain a Clear Picture of Your Future Self
“Enlightenment is when a wave realises it is the ocean.” – Thich Nhat Hanh What does it mean to be enlightened? How would you define enlightenment? How does one attain it? I’m curious to hear your thoughts. *** You can find AP2’s personal blog here at: https://clear-air-turbulence.com You can also find him on Medium at: https://anxiouspilot2.medium.com Or … More Question of the day: Number 551
We don’t always end up where we intended in life. Sometimes, we are made to divert long before reaching our final destination. Other times we may complete the journey only to find the airport is closed on arrival, forcing us to divert at the last moment. Whether it’s some kind of emergency or our own … More Diversion
Nihilism is a dangerous belief. The inability to make sense of it all leads many to conclude that life is entirely pointless. This, in turn, can lead to the belief that there is little point in trying at anything. Now, I’m not here to debate the existence of a grand creator. (Thank God, I hear … More The Meaning of Meaninglessness