Earn the right to be proud and confident. –John Wooden

As a GenX risk-taker, I had tried all the adrenaline junkie activities.  Hang gliding.  Parasailing.  Bungee-jumping.  Zip-lining.  But the crown jewel, skydiving, had eluded me for years.  Finally, in my mid-twenties, the perfect storm of an opportunity came together.  My good friend from college was in town.  My good from high school was up for it.  And my girlfriend (now wife) was out of town!  Let’s do this thing!

The three of us road-tripped down to a rural section of Southern Virginia where they allowed non-tandem, free fall jumps.  If you’re gonna get wet, get soaked!  We trained all morning, practiced jumping off a ladder, and went over all the safety protocols.  By 1pm, we were ready for our one shining moment.

My airplane contained a pilot, a cameraman, and a veteran skydive instructor with over 500 jumps.  It was mostly silent as we climbed through the clouds to get into position.  But when the plane reached 10,000 feet, the veteran jumper gave a “thumbs up” and defiantly threw open the door to the plane!  Without hesitating, he climbed out on the wing, encouraged me to do the same, and directed the cameraman into position.  Once out on the wing of the plane, there was no turning back.  3-2-1….jump!

What an incredible rush!  What incredible peace!  After what seemed a blissful eternity, I pulled the ripcord, drifted through a cloud, and landed softly on the ground.  A perfect jump in the books!   As is customary, the veteran skydiver sat me down and critiqued my jump.  At the end of the session, he looked me square in the eyes and summarized the experience:

“It was a great jump.  Even if you never jump again, you need to remember this moment. And be proud!”

I scoffed.  It was such an incredible high and I was so amped, the thought of never jumping again was preposterous.

“Are you kidding me?  I’m jumping tomorrow.  And I’ll be at 500 jumps soon!”

The seasoned veteran just half-smiled and shook his head, as if he knew something I didn’t.

And it wasn’t until years later that I finally understood his knowing expression.  Time slips away.  Girlfriends come back into town.  Life gets complicated and the responsibilities of children and financial dependency replace GenX thrills!  He knew what I didn’t at the time.  I would never jump again.   And he wanted me to remember that moment and be proud!

And couldn’t we all use those reminders throughout our lives?

Appreciate the Highs

As we roll through the different stages of our lives, we think they will last forever.  We will always hit a winning streak for our sales numbers.  We will always have purpose and conviction in our job.  Our careers will always skyrocket toward success.  We will always feel passion in our relationships.  Our children will always be young and cute and happy to see us when we walk in the door!

But how often do we pull our heads up and gaze toward the horizon?  How often do we appreciate and take pride in those stages as they are unfolding?  The reality is that we take much of our lives for granted.  Because we think the adrenaline and the highs will last forever, we tend NOT to revel in the glorious moments.  We seek out the next rush.  We pursue the next opportunity.  We expect the same results.  And when things don’t go our way, we have no guideposts to cope with the failure.

Pride Still Matters

Taking the time to appreciate each moment in the present is critical.  Taking pride in each accomplishment as it unfolds is priceless.  Why?  Because savoring that positive feeling builds up our tank of resilience.  It provides great satisfaction and gratitude in the moment.  And that feeling of joy and accomplishment can sustain us when the tide turns against us.  We remember that emotion.  It becomes a source of motivation as we yearn and fight to get back to that place in our lives.

We never know what the next stage in our lives will hold.  We can plan, prepare, and work hard.  That will increase our odds of success.  But that next step could be a ladder taking us to the top or a chute sending us spiraling down.  So if we accomplish something remarkable in the present, savor it!  If our relationships are passionate and strong, revel in it.  If our children are on the right track and growing wiser, take pride in it.  Tomorrow could be a better day.  But tomorrow is promised to no one.

My veteran skydive instructor had the right idea.  The adrenaline from the jumps may not last forever.  Soak it in.  Remember those glorious moments and be proud in the present!