What Skydiving Taught Me About Fear

Have you ever wondered how it feels like to fall from the sky? Here’s my skydiving experience and the lesson it taught me.

September 23, 2021

Photo Credit: Kamil Pietrzak | Unsplash

I remember watching this life-changing video on YouTube that completely changed my perspective on fear. It talked about how fear had two meanings! The first definition of fear is: forget everything and run — which is what prevents most of us from achieving our full potential.

However, the second definition of fear is what really inspired me to go skydiving in the first place — I would even say life-changing advice. The second definition of fear is: face everything and rise.

Here’s what skydiving taught me about conquering fear!

1. It’s All In Your Head

If you’re a normal human being, chances are, you may have a fear or two! But let me tell you this, I realized that fear doesn’t exist unless we let it control us. The best way to combat fear is to not even think about it.

I remember the day before my skydive, I was drenched with fear. Why? Because I kept replaying the event in my head and going through all the worst possible scenarios.

Let me tell you, that is the worst thing you can do! What I decided to do instead was completely forget about the event — I basically moved on with my day. What’s the lesson? Fear comes from overthinking!

2. Live In The Present Moment

There’s this famous quote by Lao Tzu that really resonates with me — it still does to this day!

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu

I remember the moment like it was yesterday: the wind pushing up against my face as I was free-falling, the sound of the parachute deploying, and the joy of feeling free like nothing else mattered — it was the best experience in my entire life. My point is, I was forced to live in the present moment!

When you’re free-falling at such an extreme speed, chances are, you aren’t thinking about anything! Why? Because you’re living in the present moment. My initial fear of skydiving completely disappeared because I was just savoring the moment.

Instead of thinking about my fear, I confronted it. And the result? A life-changing experience I’ll never forget. At the end of the day, the present moment is the only moment that truly matters.

3. Just Do It

I remember (which may have been) the scariest moment of my life was the moment before I jumped off the plane. The plane door slid open and there I was, sitting on the edge of the plane looking down from 15,000 feet above.

The skydiving instructors told everyone ahead of time that we all had the option to stay on the plane if we decided not to jump — I already knew that wasn’t an option for me. No turning back.

As I was sitting on the edge of the plane looking down at the sky, my instructor Pedro told me, “You can let go when you’re ready.” Both of my hands were shakily grasping the sides of the plane and the only thing running through my mind was how scared I was. As I was looking down at the sky, I saw the clouds.

That was when I realized how high we really were. Regardless of how much I didn’t want to let go, I decided to count to 3 and eventually took the leap of faith.

Because I took the leap, I experienced something truly amazing. Instead of letting my fear hold me back, I conquered it! The lesson? Don’t think, Just do.

The Lesson

Funny enough, the plane I was on had a Lao Tzu quote painted on it. As the wise Lao Tzu said, “The world belongs to those who let go.” Let go of your fears, on the other side — an opportunity for growth!