I have a mental bucket list that I check off in my head when I do something I’ve always wanted to do. I know, I know it’s better to write down your list but I really have too many lists as it is and I’ll likely misplace it in the piles of paper I always seem to have. So, I keep it in my head!
Anyway, jumping out of an airplane (or skydiving as most people say) is something I always wanted to do but to be honest I’m not sure if I ever would have done it if Marianne had not persuaded me that it was a good idea. I always found an excuse; I need someone to do it with, it’s too expensive, I can’t die because I need to be around for the kids, I’m too old and might break a leg, blah, blah, blah.
“I’m too old” was my most recent excuse, but maybe I’m not?!
One day, Marianne asks if I’d like to skydive as a metaphor for “you have to take that first big step before you can fly.” Being the people pleaser that I’ve discovered I am, of course, I said yes.
Apparently, I’m NOT too old because the first time my kick ass friend jumped out of an airplane; she was older than I am now. What, and she wants to do it again??!! I trust her so if she wants to do it again, and she’s “older” than me, it might not be too late.
Although I said yes, and Marianne found a Groupon for us to get a discount (we both love a good bargain) and scheduled the jump, I was still hoping God would intervene with bad weather or “something” would “come up” that would stop me from literally jumping out of a plane. I kept thinking, “What am I doing???”
Since the weather cooperated for that exhilarating hour, obviously God thought it was a good idea for me to jump, and I think he was right because I didn’t die (My boys will tell you I’m always talking about “when I die” usually followed by “you are going to miss me and wish you had called me more often”, but that’s a story for another time.) So, I must have needed to learn a lesson or two.
What are the top 5 lessons I learned from skydiving?
· You are never too old to do something new.
· It’s a confidence booster
· Not being in control is freeing.
· It brings absolute joy
· If I can jump out of a plane anything is possible.
As we have been working on launching Isn’t She Amazing, we have literally jumped in and are figuring it out as we go, we have experienced many emotions and have asked ourselves will anyone be interested in our concept of taking that first step to finding joy and living a life of intention, but each day we take one more step forward and for a control freak like me it’s very freeing to not have it all figured out.
Action Step: We encourage you to take that first step today to write down the one thing you have always wanted to do but think that your time has passed because you are too old. Through this experience, I have learned that it’s never too late to try something new.
