Feeling Like A Small Cog In A Big Machine?

Welcome to issue no. 30 of Pilot your life. March 2012
You can read the full colour version or just read the text below.

Have you ever felt like you were a small cog in a big machine?

Pilot your life newsletter no. 30

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As I discovered on my trip to the UK last year, there are cogs and then there are other cogs.

In addition to my passion for flying, I also like travelling on trains, particularly when they’re in different countries. Not only do the trains vary but the terrain through which they travel can be very different too.

In Wales, the narrow gauge steam railways cooperatively market themselves as the Great Little Trains of Wales. One of the great little train journeys I went on was the Snowdon Mountain Railway which runs through Snowdonia National Park in the north of the country. The train departs the station in Llanberis and winds its way over 7.5 kilometres up the steep mountain slopes to reach the summit of Mount Snowdon at 3,560 feet (almost 1,200 metres).

Because of the steep terrain, the train can’t run on normal train tracks. It runs on a rack and pinion system designed by a Swiss engineer, Dr Roman Abt. Basically, each small locomotive has toothed pinions (cogwheels) which grab onto the rack, giving it traction for the ascent. During the descent, the rack and pinion system acts as a brake.

To climb up the mountain, the locomotive also runs with the chimney first and pushes the carriage up the steep incline. Everything is geared to reaching the summit (and returning) safely and working with nature.

Looking back at the photos I’d taken of this little train and its tracks got me thinking about cogs. For some people, the term “feeling like a small cog in a big machine” has a lot of negative connotations like powerlessness, lack of importance and being under valued.

However, this Welsh cog railway illustrates the positive side of cogs.

Cogs are part of a team.

Not only are they a valuable part of a team, they’re part of a successful team because the train reaches its goal, the summit of Mount Snowdon. They’re also extremely important because without them the train wouldn’t run at all. And they’re powerful too because they enable the train to ascend without slipping backwards and descend without speeding out of control down the mountainside.

The Snowdon Mountain Railway also puts into practice one of my own tips. It tackles everything in bite size pieces. There are no big powerful locomotives in the system. All that’s required is one small loco and one carriage. There are, however, quite a number of engines and carriages to take the thousands of visitors up to the summit and back.
A winning formula since 1896 and still going strong.

So what do you think is the logo of the Snowdon Mountain Railway? A cog of course. That’s how important cogs are.

So, if at any time you feel like a “small cog in the big machine” of life (or business) and you need a bit of inspiration, then just think of the wonderful cogs of Wales.

Here are another three tips for how to pilot your life (personal or business):

Turn negatives into positives.
Look on the bright side.

Teamwork is extremely powerful.
Together Everyone Achieves More.

Tackle everything in bite size pieces.
It’s easier to eat a block of chocolate a bite at a time
than it is to try and eat the whole block at once.

Overcome Fear with Focus

During a recent trip to Arizona, in America's Southwest, I visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

On the trail to Bright Angel Point I came across two couples. I couldn't help but hear their conversation as I passed them and continued along the path.



Three of the people were trying to comfort the fourth person, Paul, and cajole him to keep on going to the lookout. But Paul was petrified of heights and was reluctant to move.

Minding my own business wasn't an option because I knew just how crippling fear can be. So, I went back to the group and told Paul that I was a pilot who doesn't like heights and I could understand how he felt.

However, when I fly I'm strapped in with my seat belt, I'm safe and secure in the cockpit, and I'm concentrating on flying the aircraft. All those things help dissipate the fear of heights because I'm focusing on something other than my fear.

Trekking in Nepal was at times quite nerve racking because sometimes the paths were only two feet wide (the width of two feet, not twenty-four inches) with a drop down the mountain slope on one side. Not good for a person who doesn't like heights.

The only thing to do was to keep on going and focus on the path ahead and make sure that I didn't put a foot wrong.

The trail to Bright Angel Point was nowhere near as narrow as the path in Nepal, but the drop down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon was still significant. I told Paul to focus on the path rather than focus on his fear of heights.

I then left the group and walked the rest of the way to Bright Angel Point. In a while, the four turned up at the view point with Paul looking quite pale. However, he had made it.

Later on, when I was checking out of my cabin and heading across to my car, Paul saw me and came over and thanked me. He told me that what I had said to him had actually helped.

If Paul had let his fear take control then he would have missed out on one of the world's great natural wonders.

So, two great tips for how to pilot your life (personal or business) are:

If you see that someone needs help and can benefit from your experiences and knowledge, go ahead and help.
One day it might be your turn to be on the receiving end.

Learn to overcome fear with focus.
Why let your fears stop you from enjoying some of life's wonderful experiences. Focus on something positive not the fear.

Two of my presentation topics are:

Follow your dreams (at any age)
How to pilot your life and navigate your way to success

This article is taken from my "Pilot Your Life" newsletter #2. Full colour versions of the newsletter are available by emailing me at fran@franwest.com.