Dear Community,
Just now, I read last year’s version of this yearly letter again. I have to admit that when I wrote it almost exactly one year ago, I wasn’t sure if I would write another one today, one year later. I was looking for change. And so, at the time, I was even considering leaving the Infinite Flight Community in my role as a moderator, in search of something new. But as you can see, I am still here today, the weekend before Christmas, as it was ever since 2018. What changed? Well, that’s what’s going to be the theme of this year’s letter: Meaning.
For some of us, the year 2024 was a year like any other; for others, it was a year of transformation, where an old chapter came to an end and a new one began – like a move to a new city or even a new country, a new educational journey, a new job, a new hobby, new relationships, new challenges, many new decisions. And as it is rarely the case with these big decision, they’re not very easy to make. But if there is something I myself have learned this year, then it is that there is no such thing as a perfectly right decision. Instead, it’s about giving meaning to the decisions that we make.
But what is “meaning”? Success? Revelation? Maybe. But more often, I now think that meaning isn’t something that is necessarily related directly to whatever choice we make. Instead, it is something we can create through what comes next. By embracing moments. By finding and holding perspectives. By looking outside the box. Finding that meaning though, that can be challenging im itself. Sometimes, meaning can be found in unexpected places: A conversation that changes your way of thinking, a new routine to ground yourself, or even a new realization about yourself – something you haven’t even considered yet.
Personally, when I look for meaning, I go for experiences: Going for a swim, exploring new places, going to wine tastings, or something else. It’s not always the big and monumental outcomes of the decisions we make but how we frame our choices, and what we allow them to bring into our lives. When we approach change and uncertainty with a perspective of openness and curiosity, we might suddenly find new experiences and possibilities we haven’t even considered yet. If you’re able to do that, it becomes harder to regret a decision, as the decisions we struggle with today, can suddenly lead to connections, experiences, or personal growth, in a way we never even anticipated. That said, it is of course possible to be unhappy with a decision we have made, and that we want to take a different path. And that’s a good thing. But: I believe that it is the meaning we take from it that defines how this first decision, regardless of the further path, will define us.
When it comes to Infinite Flight, I rediscovered that meaning in exactly what made me come here all these years ago in the first place: Connections. I went to FSExpo in Las Vegas, where, after all these years, I finally got to meet the remaining team members of Infinite Flight that I had not yet met in person up until then. I have started to get more involved in the Infinite Flight Discord server, which, like the IFC, has allowed me to meet many new and exciting people. And so here we are today. Once again, I am reminded of the amazing community we have here at Infinite Flight.
It never ceases to fill me with joy and pride when I see the journeys many of our community members have made over the years, how they have successfully pursued their dream jobs in aviation, started their own families, and continued to develop and reinvent themselves. I continue to admire the innovative and inventive spirit that our third-pary developers demonstrate, and the opportunities that this can give them. I am excited about how new community members are also still discovering our platforms every day – starting their own journeys with Infinite Flight. Next year, in 2025, the Infinite Flight Community forum will celebrate its 10th anniversary. And so, I also wonder how our community will develop over the next 10 years; how we all will develop over the next 10 years. I don’t know. But I do believe that if we manage to find meaning in our journey, no matter how big or small, it can only be a good one. One, that is worth making.
For now, and however your own journey looks or will look like: Take care of yourself, take care of each other. Stay safe, and happy holidays!
Marc
Dear Community - 2018
Dear Community - 2019
Dear Community - 2020
Dear Community - 2021
Dear Community - 2022
Dear Community - 2023