December 5th, 2010 | 3 comments | Skydiving

Today’s prompt: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

This year, I let go of the blinders.

First, let’s rewind. Yesterday I couldn’t get into the groove and I couldn’t think of anything that creates my sense of wonder beyond challenging myself. Then it hit me with today’s prompts. With letting go of the blinders, and not-not exploring new opportunities in my career or personal life, I reignited my sense of wonder. And that is how I’m here today.

When I moved to Chicago, I had blinders on, for a long time. I’ve spoken of these blinders and how skydiving removed them.

This is what I’m loving so much about #Reverb10. I’m seeing that all of my actions this year, though they may have been segmented and some of them were sudden, they’re all coming together into one delightful little picture. I know that this life is always changing, but in my reflection, I’m seeing that the moments where I was so scared about what I was about to do that I had to choke back tears were tough decisions, but the right ones.

So, yeah, letting go of the blinders. When I started skydiving this summer (in March, really), everything suddenly was crystal clear. I didn’t have to only love part of my career, there were other opportunities out there that were more along the lines of what I (was figuring out) I wanted. I didn’t have to suffer through a winter (much less a winter without skydiving), as there was a great big state with loads of dropzones just waiting for me to visit them. I didn’t have to worry about whether or not the relationship I was in was going to make it because we’re totally different than anything I’ve ever experienced before.

So the blinders.

Sometimes I wish I had them back. Like when I visit a dropzone down here and I don’t have that instant connection that I did to CSC when I went there over Memorial Day weekend.

But then I remember that I was born into a dropzone that has some of the greatest people, the nicest planes, and some of the best memories I’ll ever have, ever, and that not EVERY place will be like that, and that’s okay. And I remember that with my new job, I have better means to travel back to CSC during the summer when it’s blazing hot down here.

Overall, letting go of the blinders has been an epic success so far. It allows me to see that there is always another option, that happiness is not far beyond my reach, and that I can, and HAVE done what I set my mind to.

What have you let go of this year? Who have you let go of this year?

Tags: Reverb10