Learning to Fly
This Saturday I will be jumping out of an airplane at 14,000 ft.
It has been on my to do list for so many years now and I have never put any actions towards making it happen. This was something I promised myself I would work on when I started this blog. To do the things I had been saving for one day, and the things that scared me. Last Thursday I crossed another thing off that list. An action that I have been meaning to do since I was seventeen. Something that caused me stress when I would too often find myself backing down. I would stand on a bench, or hillside, or edge of the pool and contemplate this idea for hours. Letting my brain do what it does best. Overthink.
On Thursday, I found myself on one such ledge, eyes closed, heels off the ground, brain beginning it’s sabotage. Then something came over me. A thought that overpowered everything my mind could throw at it. “What’s the best thing that could happen?” Then I opened my eyes, slammed my heals down as I crouched towards the ground, swung my arms to the sky, and threw my knees to my chest. I landed on the ground. Safe and sound. I just did my first back flip.
Every attempt before this, the only thoughts in my mind were the grim possibilities of what failure could hold. A sprained ankle, torn muscle, broken bone, even lifetime paralysis. I was asking myself the wrong question “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” I would let these fears make the choice instead of making it myself. I knew I could do the back flip. I have taught dozens of friends how to do one on a trampoline. But I was never asking myself what the positive side of the coin could contain. You would conquer fear, you would build confidence in yourself, you would put a smile on your face instead of a frown, you will sleep peacefully, knowing you made the right decision by following your heart and overcoming fear. When all of those thoughts ran through my head instead of the negatives; How could I not do the flip? Sure the physical risks are still there, but the risk of submitting to failure is a much more dangerous path.
Best part about that flip? I was right! It boosted my confidence to levels I did not know were achievable without the aid of alcoholic. Any judgement I felt for that entire weekend was completely crushed by the fear conquering mood mojo I had given myself on Thursday. Think about if you were doing one thing, everyday, that scared you. You could be that confident every damn day!
“Do one thing a day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Damn right Eleanor. Preach.