ABSTRACT
Imagine that the person in the cockpit is you. Then write in the boxes (by the obstacles surrounding the plane) the things about this person in your life that you think are preventing your relationship from really taking off (e.g. their lack of spontaneity/lack of interest in what really matters to you/their reluctance to travel/not good at talking about feelings, etc.). Then in the ‘lovely things’ box, write a list of the lovely things about this person and your relationship (e.g. he’s willing to work at the relationship/his listening skills/his sense of play and fun). From doing the exercise, it may become clear whether you think your relationship has a good enough chance of ‘taking off’ at some time,
so you will put the work in, or whether the obstacles feel too many and too insurmountable. Alternatively, you may just lower your expectations, come to terms with the limitations and consciously decide to ask less of the other person.
