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Sometimes, opening our minds to possibility begins with nothing more than becoming willing to imagine that something more is possible.
How often do we decide what is possible before we ever give ourselves a chance to experience it?
We tell ourselves: That's not for me. I could never do that. I'm too old. I'm not ready. That's just not who I am.
But what if those aren't truths? What if they're simply the boundaries we've created around ourselves?
We may not be able to choose every opportunity that comes our way, but whenever we're willing to step outside our comfort zone, something within us expands. Our soul grows, and we become capable of experiencing life in a way we never have before.
Sometimes, it only takes one small choice, a slight shift in perspective, a willingness to say yes, or the courage to try something unfamiliar to open the door to an entirely new possibility.
My Skydiving Experience
For Mother's Day one year, my children gave me a surprise gift. They had arranged for my youngest daughter, Nichole, who was turning twenty-one, and me to go skydiving together to celebrate our special days.
When the day arrived, I sat down to sign my life away, or at least that's what it felt like as I read through the liability waivers outlining all the things that could possibly go wrong. Then came a video with even more dire warnings. That's when I started to become fearful. After all, I thought, I didn't really need an adrenaline rush.
Once I had signed all the waivers, I was paired with a flight instructor. When we arrived, I remember noticing one instructor who was about my age and seemed warm and friendly. I mentally picked him as the one I wanted, but I didn't get him.
Instead, I was paired with a young man who looked about twenty years old. He rushed me through the brief training and then told me to wait until my name was called. I went over to a picnic table where my family was waiting.
Just then, Nichole's flight instructor came over to us. With an upbeat English accent, he said: “What a great day for skydiving!”
Then he looked directly at me and said: “This could change your life!”
After he left, I closed my eyes and asked my angels, How could this possibly change my life without ending it?
The answer I received was simple:
If you can jump out of an airplane without fear, that would definitely be life-changing.
I decided to trust that answer. Almost immediately, I felt a deep sense of inner peace.
A few moments later, my name was called. I went back to the office and was told that my flight instructor had to be changed. The young man I had originally been paired with needed to go with a heavier jumper.
And the instructor I had intuitively chosen when we first arrived was now my new instructor. His energy was warm and welcoming, and somehow this added to the sense of calm I was already feeling. As we boarded the small plane with the other jumpers, I felt completely at ease.
When it was time to prepare for our tandem jump, my instructor attached himself to me and explained that he would be in charge of our parachute. Then he asked if I wanted to simply jump out feet first or do five somersaults. I chose the somersaults.
I watched Nichole make her jump, and then we moved toward the exit point. I remember looking down at the earth below me, and I wasn't afraid. I felt as though my angels were surrounding us, and that calm feeling was incredibly comforting.
Then came the moment. We jumped. And it was exhilarating!
We tumbled toward the earth, beginning with our five somersaults. Eventually, the parachute opened, and our free fall became a peaceful float toward the ground. As we descended, I took in a breathtaking view of the Central Coast of California.
The landing was smooth, and my family was there to greet me, happy to see me smiling.
Then I realized Nichole's flight instructor had been right. The experience really did change my life.
How This Experience Changed My Life
That day changed more than my relationship with skydiving. It changed my relationship with fear and uncertainty.
I realized in a much deeper way that my angels are always with me. When I ask for their help, I can trust that they will show up for me in ways that can feel miraculous.
I also experienced, in a very tangible way, the difference between my ego and my soul.
My ego was doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect me from danger and help me survive. It saw the warnings about all the things that could go wrong and led me down a mental path of fear to discourage me.
My soul saw something different. It saw an opportunity to become someone I had never been before: someone who could move through fear instead of being limited by it.
Although I haven't gone skydiving again, I carry that lesson with me.
I learned that in order to do something I've never done, I have to open my mind to the possibility of becoming someone I've never been.
And perhaps that's what fearlessness really means.
Not the absence of fear, but the willingness to give love to whatever I'm experiencing and trust the process.
What If More Is Possible?
Opening your mind to possibility doesn't mean you have to say yes to everything. It doesn't mean abandoning discernment or ignoring your fears.
It means becoming curious.
What possibility have you been telling yourself isn't available to you?
What if you're capable of more than you realize?
What if the life you're meant to live exists just beyond the edge of what you currently believe is possible?
You don't have to jump out of an airplane. Your invitation might simply be making a different choice. Having a difficult conversation. Starting something you've been putting off. Letting go of an old belief. Saying yes to a new opportunity. Or allowing yourself to imagine a new possibility.
Possibility begins the moment we become willing to see beyond what we already know.
Reflection
Take a moment to consider:
- Is there a challenge in your life that could become an opportunity?
- What possibility have you been telling yourself isn't available to you?
- What might become possible if you stepped outside your comfort zone?
- Who might you become if you trusted yourself and your soul a little more?
You don't have to know exactly where the path will lead. You only have to become willing to take the next step.
Mantra for This Week
I am opening my mind to possibility. I trust my soul to guide me.
Journey of Openness
This is the beginning of a new series for The Satori Experience called Journey of Openness.
I created The Satori Experience as a daily retreat to help you discover the next version of yourself, not by becoming someone you're not, but by uncovering more of who you truly are.
This week I’m also sharing a brand-new guided meditation, Opening Your Mind, exclusively for members of The Satori Experience on Patreon.
This meditation is designed to help you open your mind to possibility and create space to reconnect with your higher self.
Whether you choose the free membership or the full experience, you’ll find guided meditations, spiritual teachings, helpful tools, and transformational practices to support your own journey.
If you feel called to live in a world of greater possibility, I would be honored to accompany you on your journey. You may even want to send this to a friend or family member and invite them to join you.
👉 Learn more or join here: The Satori Experience on Patreon
Happy Labor Day!
With love and light,
Carol Gutzeit
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