Risk Averse

For those of you that know me, you know that I am not a risk-taker. Earlier this month, during my first family vacation to Hawaii, I decided to go skydiving with a friend. Well, let me rephrase that, my wife told me I could go skydiving after I asked for her permission to join my friend.

After all, who jumps out of a plane at 15,000 feet, strapped to a stranger, while diving to the ground, losing their voice, and almost passing out. In the words of my two-year-old daughter, “I did it!”

I did it. As I sat on the edge of the door opening over a beautiful and yet scary Hawaii backdrop, my skydiving partner simply thrust us out of the plane with ease. At the very last second, I was terrified. My heart began to beat faster than it ever has. My breaths became short and shallow and not enough for me at that last second.

I closed my eyes and trusted that my parachute would open and all would be well in 2-3 minutes, once I was on the ground. The sensation of going 0-60 in about 1 sec of free fall was amazing, after claiming myself down.

I closed my eyes and trusted that my parachute would open and all would be well in 2-3 minutes, once I was on the ground. The sensation of going 0-60 in about 1 sec of free fall was amazing, after calming myself down.

During the free fall, I thought about my kids and how cool this might be to gather the courage to do it with them when they are old enough; my lovely wife that was crazy for letting me do this; all the things I have to do once vacation was over; and finally my mother and my father.

Two to three minutes in the sky was so short but so long. It was as if time simply paused for a second. It allowed me to let go of built-up anger, sadness, and fear. Those two to three minutes literally grounded me. The rush of adrenaline is something that I will never forget. When I need that little push or inspiration to tackle the mundane…. I know where to tap into my source of positive synergy.

It should not have taken a crazy skydiving experience while on vacation in Hawaii, but it did. And in the end, I feel better about that experience. Letting go and taking that leap of faith provided me with some great closure and tranquility.

“I did it!”