Skydiving was more than a passion since I started throwing myself out of planes. Obsessed with everything surrounding the material, the events (called boogies), and staying in touch with fellow jumpers to bring the sport more towards the foreground.
Questions ranging from “Do you have a death wish?” to “Can you breathe while plummeting to the earth?” resonated through the room when the topic came to the surface. An ultimate adrenaline rush that many wanted to try yet remain hesitant. The thought of trying remains with many bigger than taking that leap of faith.
Or as they say in the skydiving world, “you will probably never know why birds sing.”
The sport has brought me to numerous places where I have jumped. Downtown Singapore; the fjords of Norway; the beaches of Thailand; the deserts of the United States and Dubai; the scenic landscapes of rural Poland, and the coastal region of Australia. It is all logged in and ticked off. I still see it as the ultimate escape from the real world, a means to get away from it all and put my knees in the breeze.
And it all started with a leap of faith. Turning thoughts and dreams into an actionable reality.
The fun only lasted up until my mental tipping point reached an isometric status and the needle of laughs and high levels after safely landing another one turned in the wrong direction. Anxiety crawled in, and the fear of not knowing what would happen overtook the once so predominant smiles.
My excess weight.
Diminishing mental consciousness of my true being, and my inability to turn the compass needle back on track became obstacles of ever seeing the shrouds dissipating again. It turned the fun side of skydiving into a dark cloud of fear. I became truly scared at one point ever seeing a friend posting an amazing formation on his profile, affirming that that leap of faith was turning into a leap of failure without even trying it again.
And it all came back because I was not taking care of myself.
The word “try” is connected to all of this in so many ways. Let’s try this or give that a go. We have all those imaginary must-dos in our head. Dreams that we one day will do when the time is right.
Let me tell you, the time is never right.
The concept of leap of faith has a dual meaning for me in this concept. To cast aside the fear of never jumping again overtook my life for quite some time. On the one hand, it was a comfortable feeling, secure and locked in my bubble. Why do I want to go back to something I WAS enjoying so much but no longer? Okay, I tried it, and it was time to move on. I felt that this was the path to evolve.
On the other side, we are born to explore. To seek out new challenges and encounters. To boldly go where our future self wants to go. Otherwise, we would have roots instead of legs. The Leap of Faith took a turn for the better than what my previous “self” enjoyed so much was something he too can experience again in its full glory.
The obstacle in my life turned into the path.
Since the 2nd quarter of 2018, I have taken my biggest leaps of faith. Jumping out of a perfectly good plane seems to be peanuts now compared to seeking help to get me back on track. Finding the right persons who have been there, know what goes around in the body when you’re no longer on par with your former self, was of the greatest importance to get back. Weight loss may be the most visual aspect of any transformation to thrive again. Yet I can guarantee that the biggest gains are made mentally.
Launching The Thrive Approach was one of the most challenging ones I have undertaken.
Taking a leap of faith also circles around seeking help when your own health solutions and beliefs are exhausted. You can continue trying or work harder on the same method you started years ago. It does not show even a single shred of fat cast aside in favour of lowering numbers on your bathroom scale.
The food (and even some parts of the health) industry is not working to our advantage these years. We believe that what we eat is the same as what we ate generations ago. Many human beings try harder but don’t see the results. We are told that we have to work out every single day, sweating to the bone, is the way forward. The pistons to make your bodily engine run smoothly work best when jumping in it with full faith.
But if you do not see results, you continue on the same path. Yet, you know that you have seen a better you in the mirror, it may be wise to take that leap of faith.
You have nothing to lose, only to gain.
Are you ready, willing and able in taking that leap of faith?
Taking a leap of faith is better than taking a leap of doubt. | Matshona Dhliwayo
