They say life begins at the end of your comfort zone. For me, that boundary was 15,000 feet above ground, plummeting towards earth with nothing but a parachute and a prayer. I recently got my skydiving license, completing 17 free-fall jumps in one adrenaline-packed week. Here’s a glimpse into my wild ride, sprinkled with life lessons and the occasional bovine near-miss.
The Psychological Sigh: My Pre-Jump Ritual
Before each jump, I embraced the wisdom of Andrew Huberman and performed the psychological sigh. It’s a simple breathing technique that calms the nerves. Inhale through the nose, then a quick second inhale before a slow exhale through the mouth. Picture this: me, sitting in a rickety plane, psych-sighing like a meditative monk, while everyone else is nervously chatting. This little routine kept me grounded—metaphorically, of course.
Staying Calm and Relaxed: The Arch Nemesis
Skydiving is like life: maintaining your cool is crucial. In the sky, it’s all about keeping your body in an arch position as you exit the plane. Lose the arch, and you might find yourself tumbling like a rogue tumbleweed, leading to a high-speed parachute malfunction. Panic in the air is a big no-no. Staying relaxed is key to a safe deployment and landing. It’s a lot like navigating through a tough work week—stay calm, stay focused, and try not to crash.
Visualizing Success: The Skydiver’s Secret
Each stage of the Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) course demands precision. Whether it’s performing 360 turns, docking, backflips, tracking, or stable deployments, visualization is essential. During the plane ride up, I visualized my jump from start to finish. The jumps I didn’t visualize? Let’s just say I had some close calls, including one hair-raising incident where my parachute lines almost got tangled around my feet. Visualizing each jump saved me from potentially dangerous outcomes. It’s a lesson I’m taking back to my day-to-day life: see it, believe it, achieve it.
Embracing Fear: One Jump at a Time
They say you should do one thing every day that scares you. Heights are universally terrifying, but facing that fear head-on brought unparalleled growth. Each successful jump and safe landing filled me with a sense of bliss that’s hard to describe. As Will Smith eloquently put it, “God placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.” I lived that truth with every leap.
Near Misses: Cow-tastrophes
Speaking of landings, let’s talk about my near-bovine experience. On one of my descents, I almost landed on top of a cow. Yes, you read that right—a cow. Imagine a majestic skydive ending in an ungraceful collision with Bessie. Thankfully, I managed to steer clear at the last moment. It’s a reminder that even when you’re soaring high, you need to keep an eye out for unexpected obstacles.
The Skydiving Community: Finding My Tribe
Throughout this journey, I was supported by an incredible community of instructors and fellow divers. Their competence and encouragement were awe-inspiring. I saw people of all genders, ethnicities, and ages at the drop zone, each one defying gravity and stereotypes. This camaraderie fueled my determination to complete the stages.
What’s Next?
Now that I’ve got my AFF license, I’m excited to dive deeper into the skydiving world. Next up: B-Rels (B-Certificate Course relative work jumps). This will teach me how to skydive safely with others and how to pack my own parachute. Plus, I’m eager to build lifelong friendships with the amazing people I’ve met along the way. I think I’ve found my tribe, my people, my fellow sky-enthusiasts.
Final Thoughts
Skydiving has been one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. It’s taught me to take risks, embrace fear, and stay calm under pressure. Whether you’re free-falling from the sky or navigating the ups and downs of life, sometimes you just have to take the jump. The view from the other side is spectacular.
So, here’s to more leaps of faith, both in the sky and on the ground. Just remember to watch out for cows.
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