Somewhere between the best man’s toast and the bouquet toss, you’re bound to hear the wedding singer croon,

“Have I ever told you you’re my hero,

And everything I would like to be?

I can fly higher than an eagle

Because you are the wind beneath my wings.”

This cheesy standard won Bette Middler a Grammy in 1990, the same year I said my wedding vows. Our first dance was to an obscure Jimmy Buffet tune, but I’m sure “The Wind Beneath My Wings” made the playlist.

Wikipedia defines wind as a power source for work, energy and recreation; it also helps expand the range of transport by guiding sailing ships across the oceans. I know it’s corny, but for the past 20 years my husband, David, has been my wind. He’s my best friend and number one fan, the first to celebrate my success or steer me from a slip. Wind is caused by differences in pressure, and the resulting gusts can cause a squall in any marriage. It takes commitment to turn that friction into flight instead of a cyclone path of destruction.

Do you have someone in your life who pushes you higher than you could go on your own, a power source who makes you work harder, do better and enjoy life more fully? Have you acknowledged that person and told them how their influence has helped you? Are you a refreshing breeze in someone’s life, or do you carve the landscape like an eroding storm?

Is there someone in your organization who constantly pushes you to reach the next level? Are they seen as a troublemaker or a dream catcher? Do you push back or let them take you on an incredible journey? What’s your corporate attitude toward new ideas, a turn of direction, movement and change? Do you strike Ms. Jones like a tornado, or do you steer her on prevailing winds toward the destination you’ve chosen?

When sailing, a common hazard is becoming “becalmed” because of lack of wind. The next time you feel it’s resistance, hold on tight and use it to soar.