Life

3 Lessons I learned From Tumbling Out of a Plane

Published

9 years ago

Oct 8, 2015

I literally woke up one morning and realized my time had come. Now was my time to go skydiving. Do not ask me what triggered this thought and how it came to mind. I have been scared of heights my entire life, so this was a very interesting thought. I let the thought of skydiving float in my mind for a day or two before making a decision.

Monday morning came around and I called Skydive & Beyond and booked my first skydive on Friday morning at 10am. I did not tell my family and friends I was doing it, I wanted to do this on my own. By not telling anyone it gave me the inner strength to go ahead with it. I did not want to talk about it, I wanted to take action and then share my exciting news. Given my fear of heights, I knew people would be very surprised.

It was a beautiful sunny day on Friday as I drove down to the south coast for my first skydive experience. I was both nervous and excited. I won’t lie, everything was going extremely well until we got off the bus at the airport. The nerves started to kick in whilst we were waiting to board the plane. I was my usual talkative self until we boarded the tiniest plane I had ever seen.

We all climbed onto the plane with a small silver ladder. A small white plane with no seats and a huge cushioned mattress covering the floor of the plane. I went completely silent and during take off I held onto my instructor’s arm for dear life. Everyone in the plane was looking at me trying to get me to talk, smile and laugh as I quickly went from chatty with rosy cheeks to white as a ghost and no voice.

It did get worse before it got better, as we left the runway so did my last hope of not going ahead with the skydive. Although I was scared I knew there was no way out, I was doing this no matter what. I had made up my mind when I made the decision to book – no refund or cancellations. In the air we went, the plane moving slightly in the wind, still holding onto my instructor’s arm for dear life.

I was absolutely terrified as I was able to clearly see how high we were now as there was a clear plastic roller door on the plane that we would tumble out.

Thankfully, my instructor and I were the third couple to leave the plane and before I knew it, my instructor and I were tumbling out into the sky at 200 kilometres an hour at 14,000 feet.

It was definitely worth it and the free fall did not feel like 200 kilometres an hour. It was simply breathtaking and exhilarating. We came to a sudden halt as the parachute emerged allowing us to take in the gorgeous scenery overlooking a mesmerizing south coast beach. The seven minutes felt like the longest time in the air even though my instructor was doing his best to distract me by talking most of the time.

It was certainly unlike anything I had ever experienced in my entire life feeling a mixture of emotions from adrenalin, fear, peace and beauty. Without a doubt it was one of the best days of my entire life.

Here are 3 lessons I want to share with you that tumbling out of a plane has taught me about life:

1. Live a little

I have been so career obsessed my entire life; I often forget to live a little. Over the years, I have given up a lot for my career from family time, relationships, socializing with friends, and traveling. This experience made me realize even more so that the present moment is all we have. Whilst my career is important to me, what is more important is enjoying the journey along the way, having fun, laughing more, overcoming fear and challenges, attempting different things and enjoying magical experiences like this.

For in life, it is who we become as a person and the experiences we create that enable us to live life fully and accelerate our learning and growth. When we live in the present instead of focusing on the past or the future, we discover who we truly are.

2. Leave fear behind

It is true what they say when you move through fear, you realize it is a big liar and that there is absolutely nothing to be scared of in life. Our mind often races overtime, catastrophizing and procrastinating. All the while we could be out there taking action, doing something constructive and meaningful with our lives and making the most out of the opportunities life presents us with.

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears” – Les Brown

3. Be courageous

I love that I was able to do something I never thought I would or could do. Overcoming my fear of heights has changed my view of the world and enabled me to consider all of the possibilities in life. To think about new experiences I can create for myself and others. I also came to the realization as to how much inner strength I possess. A strong mind and body enables you to overcome any challenge in life when you know you can become bigger than any problem you have to face in life.

“You can never have the ocean until you have the courage to lost sight of the shore” – Christopher Colombus

This is simply the beginning and my mind is now consumed with the many adventures I can experience in life. Saying ‘yes’ to life, the opportunities that present themselves along the way and taking time to fully live life in this very moment. There is magic to be found at the other end of our fears. Move through fear to discover the magic. I promise you this, your life will never be the same again.

Thank you for reading my article! What is something that you are scared of doing and when are you going to try it?

Related Topics:adventure courage Fear growth learning lessons Life magic plane Strength

Up Next

3 Secrets to Instant Charisma & Likability

Don't Miss

The Easiest Way To Find Your Purpose

Angelina Zimmerman

Angelina Zimmerman is a Head Coach & Trainer who specialises in mindset coaching and workshops to help people shift their mindset from a fixed to a growth mindset in order to promote exponential growth to achieve personal and professional goals.

4 Comments

Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 6, 2025

Daniel Bell

Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
Cultivate healthier relationships
Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
Exhibit better work ethic
Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

What challenges have I already overcome?
How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

Published

3 weeks ago

Dec 27, 2024

CT Dool

Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

Published

2 months ago

Nov 21, 2024

M.S. Rao

Image Credit: Midjourney

Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending. However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones. When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)