By Peter Thompson
I live my life for the green light: the flick of a switch; the glow of a bulb; the command of “GO.” Eighteen feet to my rear represents a sanctuary for fear, second thoughts, and security; two inches to my front represents exhilarating freedom. 242 times last year I chose ‘Option B’ – skydiving from altitudes in excess of 13,000 feet and plummeting towards the earth at speeds over 120 miles per hour. If you truly want to live your life to the fullest, leaping out of an airplane is certainly one way of doing it.
Three years ago I made a pledge to myself that I would never half-heartedly live another day of my life. I was a 24-year old First Lieutenant on my way home from an eleven-month combat deployment in Iraq, and I was prepared to start living my life in the way that it was intended: my family and friends would become my most important priority, service to others would be my keystone, and I would NEVER just be a ‘jumper.’ I would be a ‘leaper.’
In skydiving, as in life, we often use the words ‘jump’ and ‘leap’ interchangeably. But one defining characteristic sets those two actions apart: heart. There are a lot of ‘jumpers’ in life: they are the people who find the courage to take the first few steps, but hesitate in life’s proverbial door of opportunity; they stand up in the face of challenge, but lack the commitment to follow through and affect change; they record small achievements as large successes, but leave behind their greater aspirations because of fear or doubt.
In 2015, DO NOT just be a jumper.
Reassess your goals in life. Reset your priorities if necessary. And then ATTACK every day with the confidence and enthusiasm as if it were your last.
Show the people you love how much they truly mean to you. Give more of yourself to others in ways that make both of you stronger. Accept life’s inevitable challenges as opportunities rather than misfortunes and grow from each experience. Go all in! Close old doors behind you before you enter new ones. Be spontaneous and adventurous. Conquer your fears! Trust in yourself and take leaps of faith.
But most importantly, live your life with a full and open heart. As Rainesford said in her post below, “the middle” is TRULY “where all of the good stuff happens!"
The next time the green light comes on in your life, don’t just jump. The ride is much more epic (and Instagram worthy) when you LEAP!
Blue Skies and Happy New Year!
Peter Thompson
Army Officer/Skydiver/Cameron Crazie
Guest Blogger
AirborneRanger0113@gmail.com