Have You Ever Jumped Out of a Plane?
In 2016, I was in Colorado attending a wedding. While at the wedding, my wife’s cousin mentioned he planned to go skydiving in the morning and invited any family members who wanted to join him. Without hesitation, I said, “I’m in!”
The next morning, I found myself in a car heading to the Mile-Hi skydiving facility in Longmont. From that moment on, everything felt like a whirlwind. We were quickly shown a safety video, followed by instructions from the skydiving instructor we would be tandem jumping with. All the equipment was adjusted based on our measurements, and we started suiting up. And then… we waited.
There were about 30 minutes before the plane would be ready to take our group up. That was just enough time for the anxiety to set in. Am I really doing this? What if something goes wrong? The instructions were short and fast—am I even prepared?
The plane finally pulled up, and it was time to board. All of us, suited up in our gear, started waddling toward the plane and hopped in. As I mentioned earlier, those of us with no previous experience skydiving were doing a tandem jump with trained professionals.
Once seated, my instructor began connecting our harnesses. By now, my mind was racing with fear and anxiety, and just as I was about to freak out, it happened.
BANG! The pilot slammed the door shut.
***
Now, fast forward with me to August of 2023. I had spent the last nine years building my professional career in operations at a biotech company. It was my first real job out of college, and over the years, it helped shape who I was both personally and professionally. I learned the intricacies of business, developed invaluable skills, and formed lifelong friendships.
But 2023 brought a whole series of life-altering events. Early in the year, I lost my father—a loss that shook my foundation. At the same time, I was preparing to welcome my third child into the world. The emotional highs and lows were constant, and amidst it all, I found myself having to confront an unexpected career change and leave a job I cared deeply about. It felt like everything I had known and relied on was shifting beneath my feet. This left me questioning what the future held for me.
I remember the feelings of anxiety and fear leading up to my career change—constantly asking myself: Am I making the right choice? What do I bring to the table? Why would they hire me? If they hire me, will they like me?
These thoughts stuck with me throughout the entire job search, even up to the moment I received an offer letter. But then I remembered—I had jumped out of a plane before.
***
As the plane took off, I looked around the cabin and felt an overwhelming calm wash over me. All the fear and anxiety subsided. What had changed?
At that moment, I realized something: I had already made my decision. I knew I would jump from the moment I accepted the invitation the night before. It wasn’t helpful to focus on all the “what ifs” or let the fear take over. I needed to rest in the decision I had made and put my energy into the experience itself. For the next 10 minutes, I sat in the plane, focused on living in the moment, found peace in my choice, and looked forward to what was coming next.
So I jumped—and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
***
Now it’s October 4th, 2024—exactly one year after accepting my new role in Business Development at Don’t Panic Labs. When I was deciding what to do next in my career, the hardest part was deciding to take the leap. The fear of the unknown, of failure, of being unprepared—it was all there, just like when I sat in that plane. But once I made the decision, everything became clearer.
The truth is, once you decide to jump, you’re already halfway there. The key is trusting that decision. Life is full of these jumps—whether it’s a new career, launching your own startup, a personal challenge, or even stepping out of your comfort zone. Don’t waste energy on the “what ifs”—trust that you’ve already made the right decision.
So, I ask again: Have you ever jumped out of a plane? When you’re standing at the edge of uncertainty, take a deep breath, tell yourself you’ve got this, and jump. You might just find that you’ll land right where you’re meant to.
(P.S. Shout out to my colleague Levi because I didn’t feel prepared or confident to write a blog—until he encouraged me to “jump out of the plane.”)
