I read a story a while back about a test flight, or a new manoeuvre — something related to planes anyway. The context doesn’t matter.

Several crashes and deaths resulted from the miscalculated reaction of the pilots during a recurring issue. Something went wrong and sent the plane into freefall, and the pilots caused more harm in their attempts to correct the loss of control.

One pilot passed out.

He was the first to survive.

His unconsciousness was temporary enough to stop him from making the same mistakes as other pilots. When he became lucid, the plane was no longer out of control. It was the forced attempts at control that had ultimately led to the prior crashes.

As tragic as the story is, I love the metaphor as it relates to life. So often we try to control the inevitable chaos we’re faced with. And our half-baked attempts often cause more harm than good.

Sometimes it’s better to let things play out, to resist the urge to control the uncontrollable.