3 Potent Things I Learned From Bungee Jumping and Paragliding: Thing #2

2. It’s ok to ask for help, and important to put your trust in that help.

We need help. Getting help is part of life. Here’s the symbolism:

As I walked the plank, the fear was pervading, permeating.

No more waiting. I did not want to stand at the top of the plank any longer.

So I walked.

As I got to the edge of the plank, I met the worker, who did a final check, and gave me the ok to jump.

Well, I didn’t jump.

I stood at the ledge with my hands on the bar. I remember looking down, and seeing rock and water, 155 feet below my eyes. Rock and water. Nothing else. Rock and water far below. An abyss of rock and water, I wanted no part of.

I tried to nudge myself over the edge of the plank. That’s when I just screamed like an injured mule and put the brakes on. My hands unconsciously grabbed the bars of the plank.

I did not jump on my own.

Now, the rib cage was really getting pummeled by my heart. My blood rushed like battery acid.

My second attempt was also futile. I inched closer to the edge of the plank and leaned forward a little bit. No plunge, yet still.

After the second time, I turned back and looked at the worker. I asked him to help me. I asked him too push me over, as I leaned over the plank.

We counted 1-2-3 together, I leaned over in full, and he lightly pushed me over the ledge.

The free fall began.

I would have not been able to do it, or it would have been much harder, without the help of the worker, without that little nudge.

3 weeks later, paragliding was the next adventure to conquer.

I felt a bit calmer, this time around, knowing that I already did bungee. However, when I reached the top of the mountain and watched the other paragliders go, the nerves awakened and erupted.

The process for taking off when paragliding, is actually quite simply. On a downward sloping hill, along with your guide riding with you; you walk for 5 steps, you run for 5 steps, and then you lift your feet off the ground as the wind and kite take over as you soar into the air.

Well, being nervous, I didn’t perform the running part of the process. I just walked for 5 steps and then picked my feet up. 2 other workers grabbed our packs and started running to give us enough speed to catch the wind.

Again, I needed help.

Ask for help. Get help. Be ok with getting help. Trust the help you get, if you trust the people you are asking. Then give help to others that need it. Life flows both ways.

Getting help is your responsibility. It will not come to you, unless you ask for it, or become open to it.

Trust the help. Trust that the help will work for you.

This is evident in the extreme adventure metaphor once again. I had to trust the workers as they strapped my harness properly to the bungee cord, trust their equipment is working, trust they know how to use the parachute, and trust they know how to land properly.

I needed to trust them. I needed to get help from them. I did both.

The resulting effect was I acknowledged, and accepted fear; and acted, in spit of that fear. I grew as an individual, as well as enjoyed an exhilarating experience.

Take the plunge, and find the help to do it!!

To Be Continued…Thing #3