Zip Lining Changed My Perspective
What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?
For the controller/drill sergeant/perfectionist that used to be the driver of me, I was hesitant to try something new if I wasn’t absolutely certain that I would succeed.
However, I now know that those are just thoughts designed to hold me back from my true potential, and I have learned to release and/or harness them.
One example symbolic of letting go is ziplining.
In my mind, the opposite of control. That topic was proposed by my husband several years ago. He wanted to zipline; Chicken Little here (ie, me) didn’t, so I set about creating a variety of rules that must be adhered to if I were ever to try this activity. For instance, if we were ever to zipline, the venue 1) must be in the United States, 2) must abide by a variety of safety precautions, 3) needed to be managed by a reputable company, etc.
Well, we were on an Alaskan cruise in 2016, and all my rules were fulfilled. It wasn’t like he made me do it. It was something that I just knew I had to do to advance myself to the next level in this great game we call life.
Believe me, I wasn’t a brave and courageous warrior as we geared up; I caught myself several times trying to talk myself out of doing it. Recognizing this as just fear of the unknown, I consciously put aside these thoughts and leapt off the platform, and I’m so glad that I did!
Like so many other new experience in my life, ziplining was exhilarating and fun. I felt an endorphin rush that left me wanting more. AND since I was so successful the first time, I went ziplining with no reservation when we traveled to Costa Rica the following year.
The moral of the story is…
I would have missed out on wonderful memories if I had listened to my doubt. The experience reminded me to be on the lookout for other areas where I may be holding myself back.
The challenges that take us out of our comfort zones bubble up as opportunities to catapult (pun intended) us to a new level and a new chapter that further enriches our lives.
