Magic Lives in the Freefall

Tandem skydiving

Have you ever jumped out of a plane? 🪂Many moons ago I was given a skydiving lesson for my birthday. After being trained and fitted with a parachute I met the instructor who would accompany me.  As we walked out on the tarmac to the small propeller plane my nerves kicked in. What am I doing - kept running through my mind. We took off and as the plane climbed higher, the pilot mentioned something about cloud cover, and how we may not be able to jump. (Side note: it’s not advised to jump through clouds since you can’t see what is on the other side.)

There was a part of me for a moment that was okay if we had to do this another day. But there was something greater in me that was extremely excited and wanted to do this crazy thing. We circled for a bit then there was a break in the clouds, and he said it was GO time. My instructor motioned me over, stood behind me and clipped us together. The side door to the plane was open and you could hear the wind whistling. He told me to step out onto the side bar. When I put my leg out it was pushed back forcefully, so I had to use all my strength to keep it planted. He then tapped me on the shoulder, my cue to do a forward roll out of the plane. Yes, a forward roll.

The wind on my face was intense making my cheeks flap. Every one of my senses was on high alert. Then I calmed, appreciating the magic of the freefall. My body was belly to the earth, head looking forward, arms bent at the elbows and legs bent at the knees. Remarkably there was no dropping sensation. Instead, it felt like I was being held up by air. The wind was strong and loud, but after a few seconds, I relaxed into it. As crazy as it sounds, I felt safe. The rush of air all around me and the huge, open sky gave me a glimpse into what it must feel like to be a bird. At 5000 feet, the instructor guided my hand to the cord to deploy the chute. A brief jolt and then pure silence. It wasn’t a deadening silence. It was alive. Everything was crisp, clear and bright. We were floating. Gently floating towards the earth.

Why did I share this story? Because for me, this past year has been full of jumps. With each one I had the same experiences – nerves - what am I doing - head winds - complete vulnerability - feelings of being held - ease.  

My greatest hurdle this year was letting go of my fear of being seen, moving out from the background and willingly sharing my wisdom. Admittedly it was touch and go in the beginning. I declared that I was stepping into public speaking, yet I wasn’t particularly fond of people looking at me. Yes, I had done a lot of speaking when I was in corporate but that was work. What I talk about now is personal, so the vulnerability and fear of rejection is high. Taking the jump from being behind the scenes to being in front had me asking - what am I doing? There have been head winds and at times I feel like I am completely naked standing in front of people. But then I settle in and discover my audience is not staring or judging me, they are sharing and experiencing the moment with me. That is when I know I am being held and everything after that becomes easy.

Entering 2026, I have one less fear that I am taking with me. Releasing that fear has created space for something new and amazing. What will you end in 2025 to create room for something new in this new year?  

P.S. – I still get nervous speaking, but my desire to share my wisdom far outweighs any fear of being seen.