Hey friends,
Back in 2011 I was serving in the British Army as a Medical Officer, and I got sent to Canada for two months to participate in an armoured exercise. We lived and travelled in huge army tanks for weeks at a time whilst providing medical assistance and evacuations via helicopter – an unforgettable adventure that I'll tell you about some other time!
Learning to jump with a safety net
As part of my military adventurous training, I got sent on a parachute course for a week. I'd always wanted to jump out of a plane and experience that thrill (I'm a total adrenaline junkie!). But I was expecting it to be like normal tourist tandem jumps where you're strapped to an instructor and your job is to simply enjoy the thrill. This parachute course was different. It was designed to teach us to jump on our own using something called a static line – basically you jump out of the plane attached to it with this 'line' and as soon as you jump, it automatically deploys your parachute.
During the week, you learn all the drills on the ground as well as up in the air. How to jump, how to position your body, how to count, and how to do all the manoeuvres to open your parachute (or reserve parachute if the first one fails). You gradually advance through the training and eventually do what's called 'dummy pulls' – you pretend to open the parachute, but the plane is still taking care of it for you.
Every day we would gear up, do our drills, then jump into the tiny little plane, achieve the desired height and jump out. It was terrifying, exhilarating and so FUN all at the same time!
I did 9 jumps like this - where I followed all the steps and jumped out on my own, but the static line would automatically open my parachute. I felt free to jump because I knew I was safe.
This is me doing one of my practice jumps
The moment everything changed
On the last day, there were 15 of us on the course, and 4 of us got told we were ready to jump without the static line.
Erm, WHAT!?
I said to the instructor: 'but I'm not ready'. He said: 'yes, you are, and as an Officer, you have to set an example for the soldiers, so you are jumping out of that plane'.
My extremities went cold, my heart jumped and I had sweat on my forehead. I had already successfully jumped out the plane 9 times, but this time felt entirely different. I already had all the skills, muscle memory and knowledge to jump successfully, but one thing had changed - I knew I would no longer be attached to the plane. It was ENTIRELY up to me. If I didn't open that parachute, no one was coming to save me.
Why this feels exactly like letting go of medicine
Honestly, this is exactly what it's been feeling like to let go of my medical license.
I've been doing business stuff for 7+ years! In fact, 10+ years if you count property investing from 2014. I have a successful business, lovely clients, the skills and knowledge, and strong foundations. But somehow, now that I don't have that 'line' - the medicine line - it feels absolutely terrifying!
It goes to show that no matter how much we prepare for something, when we're about to jump out of our comfort zone, there's always going to be fear, self-doubt and discomfort. And that's exactly what I'm facing right now.
So, this week I feel like I've jumped out of a plane without my static line for the very first time, and I need to ensure I open my parachute and land safely. It involves a lot of positive self-talk, voicing my fears, leaning on my support network, and accepting that transitions like this can feel absolutely terrifying, but they're still the right step for us.
What happened after the jump
I DID do it by the way! (They didn't give me much choice lol) and I survived, yay! Not only that, I felt absolutely INCREDIBLE, and I indeed inspired the soldiers to go ahead and jump as well. We were ready - all we needed to do was trust in our abilities and jump.
Had we had more time in Canada, I would have completed the second course where you start doing freefall jumps, opening your parachute yourself every time, and increasing the altitude. This eventually leads to being able to freefall for a minute or more and achieve absolute freedom. Wow. Hmm, now I'm thinking I should do a parachute course again! But it all had to start with that first absolutely terrifying jump without the static line.
This is a screenshot from the video where I opened my own parachute without the static line!
Join me in building your parachute
As many of you know, this week I've launched my brand-new business coaching community, and I would LOVE for you to join us! We already have people signed up and starting to introduce themselves inside the space. I'm so excited to deliver ongoing business support to all these incredible solopreneurs, and to help them build their own strong parachutes, so they too can eventually let go of their own static lines and achieve freedom.
If you want ongoing business coaching, content and a supportive community, come join us inside Adventurous Solopreneurs - all my energy is focused on this and my aim is to help you grow and thrive in your lifestyle business!
This week only, you get special pricing and bonuses so make sure you join before Monday if you feel this is the right fit for you:
Join Adventurous Solopreneurs HERE
I'd love to hear from you - what's been your 'static line' in life, and how has it been for you when you've let go to launch yourself out of the metaphorical plane? Please share your stories with me - I love reading them! And also, have you jumped out of a plane before!? How was it? and if not, would you do it!?
Sending you much love and courage,
Marcela
Dr Marcela Aguirre
Helping Brilliant Solopreneurs & Founders Gain the Know-How & Confidence to Build a Fun, Sustainable One-Person Business | ICF Certified Coach | Doctor | Ex-Military Officer | 1:1 | Group Coaching & Workshops | Speaker
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