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Some friends of mine decided to try skydiving a short while ago for the first time.

I decided to go with them to observe and lend my support.

I used to skydive frequently.  I have survived a couple of interesting “emergency” situations with parachutes in the past.

So I have not taken that risk again since my two children were born.

The skydiving school my friends went to offers static line jumps.

Unlike tandem jumps where you are strapped to another jumper, with static line jumps you jump by yourself.

For a static line jump, your parachute is hooked up to the airplane by a strap.  The jumpmaster opens the door of the airplane.  You step out and hold on the wing strut. When you are ready, you just let go.  As you fall the strap hooked to the airplane pulls your main parachute open and you steer it to a safe landing on the ground.

Before you can do a static line jump, you are required to go through about an 8 hour ground school class in which you learn basic parachuting techniques for leaving the plane, steering the chute, landing and what to do in emergencies.

All jumpers have a main chute and an emergency chute.  The emergency chutes at this skydiving school all have a large silver handle.

What is drilled into the student’s head over and over during ground school is that in an emergency situation, all you have to do is pull the sliver handle.

They repeat over and over, in an emergency situation, ALL you have to do is pull the silver handle.

Your life depends on your own ability to complete one simple task.

That is it.  Nothing else to do.  Nothing else matters.  No one can help you.  You cannot procrastinate even for a second.

You have to pull your own silver handle.

When unwanted change enters your life, can you “pull the silver handle?”

If your life depended on pulling the silver handle, could you do it?

Do you have a task to complete, a decision to make, or a person to talk to that requires you pulling your own silver handle because of unwanted change that has entered your life?

Can you do it no matter how terrified you are?

I know that you can.  Just grab it and pull.

You will land safely somewhere…

Out There on the Edge of Everything®…

Stephen Lesavich, PhD

Copyright © 2021, by Stephen Lesavich, PhD.  All rights reserved. – originally published on coachsl.life

Certified solution-focused life coach and experienced business coach.

If you would like to receive personal coaching by Dr. Lesavich, please visit his life coaching web-site for additional information.

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