8 Things I Never Realized About Life Until I Started Cliff Jumping

1.The fall will be harder if we’re unprepared for it.

If you’re about to plunge in deep remember that the entire way up. There is nothing wrong with taking risks to elevate yourself as long as you’re prepared for it. Consciously be aware of your plan, as well as your surroundings. Know the consequences, and weigh them with the benefits. Once you’ve done all that, and you’re still willing & ready to take the risky plunge, bottoms up! At that point you’ve made a conscious, confident decision, rather than a nervous one.

2. Be your own person.

What location worked best for a friend, is not always what will work best for you. We must make decisions for ourselves. While friends may have similar tastes in hobbies, that doesn’t make them an identical person. Therefore, we must approach every situation as our own person and make judgments only for ourselves. Every cliff doesn’t need to be jumped only the location’s that work best for you. Know your limits and go at your own pace. When you listen to your own judgments, you’ll have a better experience.

3. Fear can be conquered.

The very first time our foot left land in order to jump into a body of water, we were probably nervous. Whether it was a four feet jump or seventy stories, we were nervous. Jumping into the unknown and exposing our bodies (and minds) to an experience and situation we’ve never dealt with before will naturally make us nervous. Overcoming the initial sensation of experiencing this unknown variable will decrease our fears of being exposed to it over time. There are a lot factors contributing to our fear so it’s natural for us to be nervous. The more comfortable we become with the concept the better we can approach it.

4. Pirates gold isn’t buried where you can find it.

Our favorite places are always a best-kept secret. They’re rarely the places that everyone goes to. The places most near and dear to our heart often hold quirks and unique characteristics that we find beautiful. Our favorite locations often feel like some sort of treasure we stumbled upon rather than places we were often brought to. The same goes for cliff jumping, our favorite cliffs are usually tucked away waiting for us to find them. Our favorite cliff will find us, if we’re out searching for it.

5. Confidence is the key to success.

If you don’t have confidence in what you’re doing, you’re already making a big mistake. The second we don’t believe in ourselves is the second we second-guess our correct answers. Once we become nervous we lose control of our body’s and emotions. Therefore more than likely, without confidence your jump to success will probably become a flop. Confidence enables us to control the one factor we’re contributing. If we believe in what we’re doing, the rest will usually follow through smoothly.

6. Mother Nature makes the rules, and you must obey them.

The environment plays a stronger role in our success than we often assume. Until we are immersed in it, we often become disengaged from the affects of our environment. Environmental factors will have more of an impact on you than it will on them. How much you enjoy your experience, is often based around your environment. Therefore, be conscious of your environment. Know how deep the water is, how tall is the jump, and where all the obstacles are located. We can only control what’s on our behalf, therefore we must acknowledge every factor of our environment to ensure our safety and happiness.

7. The higher the jump, the longer we should wait to jump again.

We just took a big risk. Let it resonate. Let your adrenaline come down and make sure there are no negative side effects. Provide your mind and body the rest it needs. If we keep pushing ourselves further and further after taking a big jump, we’re bound to fall apart eventually. A smaller step builds a steadier progress without diving too deep and setting us back. While a rush of adrenaline can bump us two forward from time to time, moving too fast will only set you back in the long run.

8. Even when we don’t think we need anyone, always have someone watching your back.

We’re putting ourselves out there, and we now feel confident doing it alone. There is nothing with that. Yet, it’s the moments when we least expect it, that hit us the hardest. So incase we missed the warning signs, it’s always best to have someone around who’s willing to help you out. Yet, this must go both ways. We must provide them equal treatment because the moment that person feels the trust is leaning in the opposite directions is the moment they may turn their backs. While we like to believe we’re capable of conquering everything on our own, having a buddy to help us out is essential.