“The longer you stand here the worse it’s going to be. You should just jump.”
This is the advice given to me by a Costa Rican tour guide as I stood with my knees wobbling looking over the edge of a waterfall.
Several years later, it’s advice I live by in life, business and adventurey things: Just Jump!
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Pura Vida
The Costa Rican motto is Pura Vida, Pure Life. Costa Ricans live life to the fullest while also slowing down and caring for all aspects of their country, from the trees, to the ants, to the monkeys, to the ocean and of course the people — they put life first, always. Pura Vida.
I tried to fully engulf myself in the Pura Vida lifestyle during my short week’s visit there several years ago. So when my group visited a natural waterfall and there was an opportunity to very safely, jump off of a small cliff into the waterfall waters below, I thought, well, when in Costa Rica!
Pura Vida.
The cliff jump was by no means miles high. It was a big jump to me, but I won’t exaggerate how big the jump actually was. It was probably as high as jumping from a second-story window. It was high but not insane. I’m not THAT big of an adventurer at all. I’ll push myself, but I have limits.
My group walked together to the jumping area with our guide and one by one, people from my group jumped into the cool water below. Kids were even doing it! More than once! It was clear that this is was a safe thing to do, so when in Costa Rica…
Related: Expand Your Comfort Zone in Costa Rica
Just Jump
When it was my turn to jump, I stood at the edge of the cliff and the sound of rushing water seemed to get 10 times louder. Suddenly that two-story jump looked more like I was about to jump from the top of a sky scraper.
My heart started to race. I took deep breath after deep breath, but also felt like breathing was no longer easy to do. My knees wobbled and an odd nervous laugh began to leave my throat joined by a creepy grin across my face. I looked back at the Costa Rican tour guide who was casually scrolling his phone after helping me to the edge and I pleaded with my eyes for him to help me. I did not physically need help but I thought maybe he would tell me what I needed to hear.
He barely looked up from his phone (he probably heard my creepy laugh and couldn’t bare to look in my direction) and imparted on me the meaning of life.
The longer you stand here, the worse it’s going to be. You should just jump.”
The advice was incredibly simple and the Costa Rican man probably said that same line numerous times a day to every tourist who isn’t adventurous in every day life but lands in Costa Rica and suddenly wants to become a new person.
But for me hearing these simple words as I stood knees wobbling on the edge of a waterfall, I felt like he had imparted such wisdom on me. In that moment, he told me the meaning of life and he didn’t have a second thought about it.
So I jumped.
Related: Layoffs Lead to Impact and Income
Jumping Is Messy
My creepy, nervous laugh turned into a squeal as I plunged into the cool waterfall waters below. As I hit the cool water and it rushed over me I remember feeling shock and awe at the same time. I thought, holy shit, I jumped. And also, holy shit, I freaking jumped!!
It was a great feeling…..for about 10 seconds.
I was wearing a GoPro on my chest when I jumped but hadn’t secured it properly and when I hit the water, the GoPro snapped off the harness, cut my chin and then sank to the bottom of the waterfall never to be seen again.
At the time, the cut chin and the lost GoPro overshadowed the greatness of my jump. I had borrowed the GoPro so I spent the rest of our time at the waterfall trying to swim to the bottom and find it. But it was lost forever.
Lessons Learned
My chin healed before we left Costa Rica, I replaced the GoPro once I got home and I told everyone the story about how I jumped off a cliff into a waterfall.
But it was actually years later that the advice of Just Jump started to pop back up in my life and business.
I’ve done a few other adventurey things in my travels and when my knees start to wobble and I find myself delaying the jump, I tell myself, the longer I stand here the worse it’s going to get. And then I jump.
But it’s when I decided to build my own coaching business that this advice rang even more true to me. It’s the anticipation, the what if’s, the what will people say, the worry, the unknown that makes our knees wobble. We hesitate in “jumping” in life and actually make it worse for ourselves. The longer we “what if” the worse it gets. If you Just Jump, your knees will stop wobbling and you’ll know the answer to the what if. What if it’s amazing!
Now I’m not saying it’s going to be perfect. It will likely be hella messy. You may cut your chin or lose some things or people along the way but you’ll never regret jumping.
The shock, awe, clarity and confidence you gain just from jumping in, is all you need. You’ll figure out the details later.
Just Jump.
Related: How a Puzzle Led Me to Starting My Own Coaching Business
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Note: The photo pictured is not of me jumping from the waterfall. This was a second jump I took on the trip, after I had practiced at the waterfall. This jump was much more of a success and I was wearing a life vest and helmet so the odds were even more in my favor. Sadly, I don’t have photographic proof of the waterfall jump.
I dove deeper into this story on the Laidback Achievers Podcast. If you’d like to listen and hear more about how your content can bring you peace check out the episode on Apple or search for Laidback Achievers Podcast Episode titled: Create Content That Inspires and Brings Peace wherever you listen to your podcasts.
