What Skydiving Taught Me About Trust

Posted on April 03, 2024 by Daniel Olexa, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

What does it take to allow yourself to jump out of a perfectly good airplane at 12,000 feet?

One word: Trust.

There are many layers to trust in this moment.

· Trust that everything will go well.

· Trust in the plane and the crew.

· Trust that your tandem leader is experienced.

· Trust that the parachute will open.

· Trust that the rest of the equipment won’t fail.

· Trust that you won’t die or be maimed.

· Trust that you’ll actually enjoy the experience.

Ultimately, what is required is trust in yourself to say “Yes” to the experience, because saying “No” means you just spent the previous hour of instruction and preparation for nothing but a short airplane ride.

Because that final trust of yourself is actually you stepping beyond what may be your biggest fear – falling 12,000 feet to your demise.

What I learned by taking the ultimate leap.

I could go with Will Smith’s takeaway from his skydiving experience: “God placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.”

Anticipation of the jump was definitely driving some fear.

In fact, my foot was quivering on the accelerator pedal of my Jeep as I was driving to the air field to take my first ever jump for my 57th birthday.

It was a disturbing feeling.

When the instructor from NorCal Skydiving interviewed me for my video, I told him I was “Nervous-cited.”

It was my way of creating a word that summed up my apprehension and eagerness all at once.

And I was good as the plane took off and we slowly climbed to jump altitude over beautiful Sonoma County, CA.

The moment of sheer terror arrived when the door of the plane opened at 12,000 feet and I knew I was going out of it in a few minutes.

Part of me was fine, the other part was saying, “Aw hell NO!”

Once my right foot was outside of the cabin, placed on a small metal strip (maybe 5” x 24”) I knew I was committed, even if part of me was still hesitant.

And then, I was falling…and screaming at the top of my lungs…for about 5 seconds.

Then the fear disappeared. I stopped screaming and started laughing.

Falling at 120mph was an incredible experience. Freeing, expansive, and joyful.

We fell about 8,000 ft in 45 seconds.

Then the chute popped. The next 4-5 minutes were a glorious gentle ride as we floated down to Earth.

Quieting fear and embracing trust.

Looking back on the experience, I realized that while I was confronting fear, I was also battling a much bigger challenge: Trust.

Fear and Trust are like twins with opposing personalities.

We fear things won’t work out. We trust that they will.

Fear had me anticipating and hesitating, right up until the last minute, and for about 5 seconds of freefall. I was afraid I was going to die.

Trust had me confident that I’d survive and thrive. It took a lot for me to open to that idea, particularly 12,000 feet in the air.

When you align to your trust, you will discover your most powerful self.

As I was falling through the sky, I realized the only thing in my control at that moment was my attitude.

It was possible that I could die if the system failed (see above).

I could die in terror or in joy. Which was it going to be?

I decided to enjoy the ride. And what a ride it was!

What is holding you back from embracing trust?

Are you listening to fear? Those ideas from inside your head that were planted there by others trying to nurture their seeds of weakness. That’s their stuff and not yours to live, unless you consciously want to.

Do you worry about the ‘other shoe dropping?’ It’s a common concern – that if something good happens for you, then there has to be a reckoning to create balance in your life. It’s a bullshit perspective.

There is no other shoe, and there never has been…but you’ll find one, you’ll create it, by worrying about it and looking for it.

The Birth of The Trust Catalyst

A new me was unleashed by this experience. I discovered a new identity: The Trust Catalyst.

Creating trust has always been my superpower – I just hadn’t realized it.

Clients tell me how safe they feel with me. Students share how the appreciate the judgement-free space I create for everyone. Co-workers for decades have come to me for help for this very reason.

According to Websters, the definition of catalyst is:

I am here to be that agent for you; helping you to reconnect to your inner wisdom and remember just how strong you are.

Working together, you’ll get to that place faster.

Are you ready to commit to changing your life?

If so, take the first step. I promise it is less scary than stepping out of a plane.

If not…how long are you going to kneel at the airplane door, waiting to experience the fullness of life?

Trusting fear and fearing trust will keep you stuck, small, and unhappy…embedded in your comfort zone.

It’s time to take the leap of trust and learn to fly.