Jordan Scales
Jordan Scales is a leader in aircraft management at Clay Lacy Aviation, where he develops tailored support strategies for aircraft owners. With a degree in Aviation Management from Auburn University, Jordan brings experience across OEMs and aircraft brokerages. Passionate about career development, he serves as Co-Chair of NBAA’s Young Professional Council, sits on the IADA NextGen board, and partners with universities to mentor and expand access to business aviation careers.
Pain Isn’t the Problem—It’s the Path
Throughout our careers, we all experience some form of pain. It doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means you’re becoming. In this soul-stirring piece, YoPro Jordan Scales reveals how discomfort can lead to radical transformation.
We all know someone who seems to learn everything the hard way. Maybe that person is you.
The most powerful people in the world aren’t the ones with titles or followers. They’re the ones who’ve made peace with discomfort.
Those who don’t mourn the past but study it. Who let pain shape them, not define them.
“Never again will I pity or belittle myself.”
Og Mandino, The Ten Vows of Success
Our culture teaches us to build an identity, an image. And when we fall short of that image, we feel shame.
But maybe the image was never real to begin with. Maybe it was just ego talking.
Here’s what no one tells you: sadness and struggle aren’t signs that something is wrong with you.
They’re invitations to look deeper. To find the real source of the disappointment. Not the surface-level event, but the belief underneath it.
If you want peace, stop arguing with reality. Accept the moment, even if it’s hard. Work with it, not against it.
Emotions aren’t enemies. They’re signals. But when we let them run the show, we lose ourselves.
You are not your sadness. You are not your anxiety.
You are the awareness beneath them.
The Latin root of the word “emotion” literally means “to disturb.” That’s what these feelings do. They disrupt—but they also reveal. If you pay attention, they’ll show you the work you need to do.
The goal isn’t to never feel pain. It’s to stop identifying with it.
“But here’s the truth: failure is not the opposite of success—it’s the highway to it.
– Lord Greville
Books to Help
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
A deep exploration of how living in the present moment frees us from the grip of fear, pain, and ego. Tolle reminds us that the mind loves to live in the past and future, but peace is only ever found now.
Radical Acceptance – Tara Brach
This book teaches you how to stop judging yourself and start making room for the full truth of who you are. By embracing yourself as you are—not as who you think you should be—you can begin the journey toward healing and growth.
In Conclusion
Your self-worth is not a project to be completed. It’s already here.
The more you honor the present moment, the more you detach from the egoic stories about who you’re “supposed” to be.
You didn’t fail. You learned. You tried with what you had. And now you know more.
Whatever comes next, greet it like you chose it.
You’re not broken. You’re becoming.