Tornado chasing: A metaphor for life

On the 16th of April, near Pampa, Texas, we watched in awe as a rotating cloud descended to the ground. We had managed to follow a storm that produced one of the most inspiring sights in nature; a tornado.

You may at this point think that we have lost it – chasing after these storms when most run away from them. We have a different take on it. Life is about finding what it is that inspires you and following that dream to make it a reality. The dreaming, planning and implementation of an action plan is what we do in life in order to fulfil our purpose.

There is a tendency as we age, to let go of our purpose; to just live out our remaining years with no stress or challenges. We believe that if you don’t have a challenge, look for one or create one, so that you redefine a purpose in your life. Fulfilling one’s purpose entails a certain amount of luck, however, as a Roman philosopher once stated, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Back to our tornado. We have the dream of intercepting one. Then we put in the preparation: studying the meteorology behind tornado formation, hooking up the satellite radar feed in our vehicle and checking the National Weather Service predictions. Even doing all that, the odds of actually seeing the tornado is low and you need some luck to succeed. Over the years however, using the right strategy and equipment, we have become more successful and have achieved our purpose of intercepting a tornado.

Fulfilling a purpose doesn’t mean that you have to do crazy things like we do but following what it is that gives you a buzz. It doesn’t have to be about money; it could be about doing volunteer work, writing a book or learning a new skill. Follow the formula of dreaming, planning and implementing and you will be successful.