How a leader should start the day

I am re-blogging this for my #TGIM segment, it brings out something I think about in a much clearer way than I could. Enjoy

 

Jump More, Bitch Less!

It has been over a year since I first wrote down this bucket list, well it finally happened 🙂 I let someone tie up a rope on my feet and jumped 60 metres down! Yes I did it. It started in January, when Roger talked about doing bungee and I crashed in on the idea, doing it as a group is more fun than doing a lone jump right? All plans were set for the jump to take place in April, come April I took my annual leave in preparation for this big event, okay I was scared I needed one week to convince myself I could do it… Mid-week into my leave Simon calls us to cancel our jump, due to high water levels following the heavy rains that fell. Simon is one cool chap who was key to organising the whole event logistics and everything else, he runs airwaves travel and tours. Now where was I? Yes, with the jump being cancelled I pushed that to the back of my head somehow forgot about it till sometimes towards the end of June.

The conversation was rekindled and a date agreed upon. Like everyone who has never done a jump before I was all cocky asking questions like “Can one jump twice?” as I was later to realise, you can, only if you have balls of steel! Simon calls us and makes the meeting time 9 am and departure at 9.30 am, and guess what? African timing is what happened! We left at almost 11 am, but I will not complain…. This jump coincided with some pretty big life decisions, most of the way and back my head was filled up with many thoughts and what if scenarios but that is another post all together. After about an hour and a half we spot the White water signboard, take a dirt road and after about three kilometres we arrive.

Andreas is the guy who runs the place with his wife, he starts by joking that it is his first time on the jumping job, I later learn he has done it for thirteen years and the rafting for twenty. We sign off our liability release forms and Jackie is our first volunteer, I was to go second but imaginary pee just built up from nowhere, don’t even dare laugh! She is all psyched up and up the steps she climbs, when she finally gets to the cage butterflies built up and quick, she decided to postpone her jump. As we are busy debating whether to jump or not Sophie was really pushing Jackie back to go and take the leap, I saw a natural leader there. She felt as if it was her loss, if I ever have a team building activity I already have a pick… I hope this did not spoil the psyche for those who came to see it first before they later come for a jump that is Jess, Douglas and John. Roger did the first jump, however the quality is not very good as I used my phone once I get the other videos I will upload them also. Next was Simon, he runs a company called nitume services they will run errands for you at a fee and save you the headache of doing these errands yourself as you concentrate on the important things. Simon just jumped! No countdown, no warning, no nothing just kamikaze! After Simon there was Edna, Budgery she did a back jump a tricky jump followed by yours truly, Asha, Aaron and Harris.

Aaron was that guy teasing us as we prepared to jump, apparently the people who were to jump had grown very quiet lol. Harris was almost a no show because of a surgery he did when he was four years old. But the good thing is he jumped ey? As I was going up that sixty metres of metal to jump the two sides of fear and courage kept fighting, what if I fell and died? What if I slip off this metal pole and crash? What if this metal bar snaps? I had so many what ifs. The other side kept on telling me to climb, fear is only in the mind, it is not real, I have to risk a little, with high risks comes even higher returns yes? I managed to fight my phobia of heights and reach the top, one piece of advice if you are scared of height when you go is just keep going don’t try to measure up where you have come from. Though the top seems so so far away. I found Budgery ready for her jump and waited, she pulled the first and only back fall that day. Andreas asks how close to the water would I want to get and I wanted to touch it not get dipped, just touch. As he fastened the safety locks and harnessed my legs I had my last thoughts of pulling out, they say you can learn to control every other part of your body when you are nervous but your legs will find a way to sell you out. I trembled for a while and when the cage finally opened it was time to jump 5… 4… 3… 2… 11111(Read Oooooooone!) and I just let go. 77 kilo bag of bones is no joke, I was going down so fast I couldn’t think. I lost my breath in the first ten seconds and as the rope yanked and stretched all I could think was “this is awesome, what was I so afraid about?” Aaron took the next jump, which came as a surprise being the guy who was always taunting us! Asha followed and her fear and courage sides were fighting openly, she later made us laugh saying what made her jump is trying to imagine the pair of shoes in that one jump! Lol. She also spotted the sticker on the cage “Jump more bitch less!” she runs Turande here. Next time I will remember to check out for and capture it. Harris was the biggest surprise, he is that guy who deserves a beer, his fear started when he read the liability release form but he finally decided screw it he’ll do it.

Now am done with two items in my bucket list, on to the next one 😉