I Went Skydiving and You’ll Never Guess What Happened!

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“Oh s**t!  You want me to do what????”

Up until the moment the door actually opened at 10,000 feet, I was cool. Then it all turned upside down.

I am a little nervous but excited about our skydiving adventure, which is not even on my bucket list.  A year ago, Darrell asked me if I wanted to go skydiving, and I said “yes” – because I have a thing for trying everything at least twice (in case the first time is a fluke) – and I hadn’t even done this once.

The prospect of jumping out of plane was a little scary, which is why I wanted to do it. Doing things I am scared to do is good for me. It expands who I know myself to be. My view of myself becomes bigger.  I am learning to be courageous: having the fear and doing it anyway.  Plus, I want my second half of life to be radical.

So, there I am, after signing my life (literally) away in the most severe Liability Release I had ever read, about to jump out of a plane nearly two miles up with a dude attached to my back.  The dude has a parachute and is a professional.  Millions of people skydive.  I know it is safe.  I am cool.

Until the moment the door of the tiny plane opens and my instructor tells me to put my foot out on the tiny plank outside of the plane…

This is where “Oh s**t!” hits me…

“Is it too late to change my mind??” flashes through.

Meanwhile, my foot goes on the tiny plank, and my body flies out of the open plane door… and I am free-flying… with the dude still attached.  The view is magnificent, and what is even more magnificent is that I did it.

The fear is replaced by quiet and beauty.  And this is what I learn: behind every fear is a door.  When I get past the fear, I open a door to new possibilities, and a new expanded “me.”  My world gets bigger, and I know that “If I can do this, I can do anything.”

I am now someone who can jump out of the plane at 10,000 feet.  Radical.

Afterwards, a friend asked me if I would do it again. Yes, I would.  And the second time will be even better – because I will be past the fear and more present to enjoying the flight.  And that’s the real treasure – enjoying our flight.

Sooo… Who wants to go bungee jumping?

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Alexandra Levin
 

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