We’ve all had those days where things just don’t seem to go our way. Even with the best intentions, careful preparation, and a great attitude, sometimes we can’t get our plans off the ground.

This was the case one evening this summer when my girls and I set out for the beach. The plan was to fly kites and watch the sunset while the boys went to a baseball game.  Our hotel was only a few miles from the beach, so we set out just after dinner.   With over an hour until sunset we thought we had plenty of time.

Well apparently we weren’t the only people in L.A. with this idea.  Traffic crawled as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky.  When we finally arrived at our destination, the parking lot was full.  Tension mounted as we hunted for another spot to park.  We finally found one, but we had to rush to unload our gear and run down to the water before the sun completely disappeared.

Tearing the kites out of the packaging, we assembled them and attached the string.  We were excited and ready.

The breeze seemed to be coming off of the water.  We tossed the kites into the air and let the string out. The wind grabbed the material and pulled upward for a few seconds and then abruptly stopped and sent the kites whirling downward into the sand.

We tried again and again, tossing the kites in different directions and running down the beach.  Each time our motion stopped, the kites plummeted.

What I learned from this:

1. You need wind to fly a kite.
2. You cannot make the wind blow.
3. You need wind to fly a kite.

Applying this knowledge to other endeavors, I find a universal truth: No matter what preparation you bring to a given situation, certain aspects of life are not yours to control.  You cannot control the wind.  You CAN, however control how you react to the wind. You can choose to be angry and frustrated that the wind isn’t blowing, or you can enjoy your failed attempts to fly the kite and laugh at them.  You can give up and decide that kite flying isn’t for you, or you can pack the kite carefully away and try again tomorrow.

We decided to find the joy and beauty in the situation.  Click here for more pictures of our kite flying adventures.

What if true happiness in life doesn’t come from success or failure?  What if it comes from acknowledging what you can and cannot control and then choosing to keep trying and improving at the parts you can control while praying for the wind to blow on your attempts?

History is full of examples of people who didn’t get their kites off the ground on the first attempt. Check out one of my favorite modern examples.  Wait for the criticism at the end of the video, then google Lindsey Stirling and be inspired to keep on trying. Hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and packed concerts beg to differ.