Paragliding – An out of comfort zone experience
Last weekend was a beach weekend intended for relaxation and chilling out, but it was also one that took me out of my comfort zone for a little moment.
I was happy just being by the sea and swimming. Just enjoying doing nothing. But, of course, my 5 year old daughter wanted a bit more than chilling out. She saw the parachutes on the sea and then her new friend told her she went on the parachute on the sea. So, she wanted to do the same. Not thinking much about it we said ‘yes, let’s do it’. It is fun!
So, we bought the tickets. We got there earlier as we were somehow excited. We put on our life jackets, we were taken on a boat that took us to the paragliding boat. The boat captain got us ready and put the equipment around us. Suddenly, all my calmness and excitement started to disappear and I could sense a feeling of nervousness. A slight scary feeling! My mind started asking questions and I could see where it was taking me… to a place of fear if I allowed it. So, I starting an inner chat to assure myself that this is safe and all will be well.
Befriending fear that creeps in whilst out of the comfort zone
Our time has come. All set to go. We were the first ones to go. We got attached to the parachute. As the boat started moving, the ropes rolled out and in an instance we find ourselves in the sky. OMG! ‘What am I doing up here?’ I asked myself. A deep sense of fear suddenly hit. Then, my daughter stated ‘I am scared’. Of course, that did not help me at all.
Somehow, I realised that the best thing to do is hold on to the rope, take deep breathes and trust that all will be well. And, I might as well enjoy it as this was a ‘short’ 15 minutes up in the air. I told my daughter that it is safe as she was holding on well. I asked her to take deep breathes and just focus on the view.
Suddenly, I felt safe, nearly comfortable and relaxed. I noticed my daughter was also more comfortable and she was becoming curious as her eyes were wide open watching the view.
At that point as I befriended the fear, I could really enjoy the experience. Up there is a whole different world. I felt light, flowing and connected to the element of air. It was silent except for the sounds of the gentle wind against me. A sense of peace was really accompanying me.
The view from up there was something else. It gave me a difference perspective of the beauty of the sea and land. Of course, I have been many times on an airplane but the feeling is totally different as you feel totally connected to the air, or rather part of it all! Everything seemed to be more vibrant and alive. All seemed less dense, much lighter! I could see much more and I could admire the Earth we live on. It left me with a sense of magic and gratitude.
My reflections from this experience of getting out of comfort zone
- If you are trying something new and you do not feel a sense of discomfort then you are not stretching yourself enough
- With awareness there is always something you can do to help you manage the fears
- Trust and faith (of course whilst doing what is necessary to protect yourself) are key to support us when we we move out of our comfort zone
- Only by moving out of our comfort zone and we take the plunge (feel the fear and do it anyway), we can learn something new and/or gain a new perspective
- We must rise above the fear, the challenges or maybe also disconnect from the dense energies to be able to find new solutions and see everything with new eyes!
- Out of our comfort zone lies our potential, solutions. Once we adjust to the new zone we will discover another part of ourself that was lying dormant. These awakened part of ourselves make us more whole and more of who we are so we feel more fulfilled and more joyful!
Adjusting to a new comfort zone
So, I started feeling comfortable as I managed my fears and my monkey mind. I felt totally in the flow of the experience until we were ‘thrown’ in the sea. A sort of a shock. Maybe a reminder, not to allow ourselves to become so comfortable and to keep stretching ourselves. That’s life. We are thrown at the deep end and then we rise again. Maybe, once we adjust to the new comfort zone and some time passes and maybe life becomes too comfortable or easy, then its the time to look at ways how we can stretch ourselves. It is only through moving out of our comfort zone and we connect to our inner resources to support us we understand our full potential and grow as individuals who are ready to experience life to its fullest.
“Each time you try something for the first time you will grow-a little piece of the fear of the unknown is removed and replaced with a sense of empowerment.” - Annette White
My Question to You
Well, I definitely recommend you try the paragliding experience. Or, if paragliding does not stretch you enough out of your comfort zone, my question to you:
“What can you do to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone?”
Something that gives you a sense of excitement but at the same time creates a bit of discomfort within; a teeny weeny sense of fear. Maybe something that you always wanted to experience, maybe a creative idea … somethings that you might have thought are crazy… maybe this is the time to try something new that you always wanted to try?
See what happens. You will be pleasantly surprised!
I love to hear your ‘getting out of the comfort zone’ story. Feel free to share with me on info@catherinegalea.com. If you have any questions or would like some help to be able to take the plunge on moving out of your comfort zone, I will be happy to offer you a 30 minute complimentary call. Get in touch here