The edge of my discomfort is where I create self trust

I remember feeling a lurch in my stomach as the plane lifted off the ground 

One by one, people jumped out seemingly disappearing into thin air as they dove towards their ground

My best friend said it reminded her of that scene in wizard of oz where the flying spider monkeys went after dorothy. 

This was shortly before she jumped, clenching desperately to the side of the plane before similarly being whisked away 

I was the last person to leave, I looked at my sky diving teacher and he said “you can either jump now or take the plane down” 

We spent 8 hours in a classroom to learn the mechanics of sky diving, this was after a three hour car ride from Pennsylvania to a rural Ohio skydiving center 

I was 15 years old when I got my first job, and saved money for months for this experience 

I knew I was jumping. I knew I wasn’t ready. I had a vague fear I would split my pants mid air because the suits weren’t made for my curvy proportions and long legs (I don't believe many Black people did this other than myself...) 

At the time, sky diving was legal for people at the age of 15, HOWEVER, you had to be working towards a skydiving license AND you had to pull your own parachute.

This is different from tandem sky diving in that the instructor would be floating near me in case I go into shock, but for the most part, I was responsible for my own life. 

I repeated my instructions in my head as an attempt to calm down

1. Be careful of other flyers
2. Count to 30 
3. Pull the parachute 
4. Find the landing spot
5. Pull the second parachute 

But the more I reflected on it, the more the actions I needed to take began to jumble in my head

“Are you ready?” My kind instructor, an older man who has been doing this for years looked at my paled face with gentleness (and perhaps a pinch of exasperation)

We jumped off the plane and I instantly went into shock, 

The wind underneath me was unlike anything I ever experienced 

As the ground became bigger and bigger I felt like I was going to die. 

I lost track of the time, but I knew I didn’t have much left

I knew I needed to pull the parachute so I could safely land yet it was like my hand had the weight of lead.

My instructor looked more and more nervous. “If you don’t pull your shoot in the next 10 seconds I’m doing it for you” 

This brought me back to reality. I reached my arm back and opened my parachute.

Instantly I went from falling to floating, I took in the rural beauty of the area I was in 

I started to cry, not because I was afraid but because of the acknowledgment that I could take life altering risks and still save myself 

I began to carefully navigate my way back to the landing 

I was so excited to land that I forgot to pull my second parachute (my instructor didn’t like that)

This entire experience taught me a powerful lesson on how I wanted to live my life. 

The edge of my discomfort is where I create self trust

I live my life on the edge of my own discomfort because I have found that is where I grow and where I have the most fun.

It is where I have the greatest impact and where I feel the most connected to the people around me

This looks like getting a job where I was paid $7.25 an hour when I was ~15 so I can go skydiving at the only state where it was legal (thank you Ohio!) with my best friend (thank you Bridget! And my Mom!) 

 The foundation of being an intentional REBEL is planning, preparing, working, and then taking the leap that gives you freedom, accomplishment, growth and abundance. 

This looks like not settling for career paths that have me question my self worth and capabilities. This has led to me living an unconventional life founded in a few key beliefs:

• I believe in living my life unapologetically and unafraid
• I believe in taking risks because the greater I risk the greater I grow
• I believe in being fueled by my inspiration
• I believe in being free and pursuing liberation

This has led me to create movements, run non-profits, coach executives, build a successful business and so much more and so much more 

But these paths aren’t easy and they aren’t handed to anyone on a silver platter. Understanding your edge requires intentionality in what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.

These paths are created through being brave, taking risks, putting yourself out there, and allowing your discomfort to pave the path towards your growth. 

I practice this with my people in our careers through the act of Income Rebellion grab the full mini course so you can too.