Sometimes you just have to leap and build your wings on the way down.
That’s an excerpt from one of my favourite quotations. It’s from Ray Bradbury and the whole thing goes like this:
“If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.”
I read it as a call to action to live the life you want. A life on the other side of the fears that can easily keep us small.
Two or three years ago I met Robin Conely and John Stanton. We met at the Crossfit regionals where I went to soak in the awesomeness and to hopefully do some interviews. John and I hit it off tossing a disc around and he talked about a project the two of them were putting forward. They were calling it Ninja Camp, and I was instantly hooked.
Who doesn’t want to be a ninja?!
Ninja’s were always the epitome of awesome to me growing up and so the name hooked me. I wanted to go immediately and right behind that desire was that fear I spoke of earlier. Who am I to go to something like that. “You’re not cool enough”, the voice said. “You’re not fit enough”, it continued. Who doesn’t want to be a ninja? Someone too scared to just let themselves be.
Flash forward to the present day and I’m sitting at Ninja Camp about to go to sleep on the first night and I’m reflecting on the journey. What’s shifted from then to now that’s allowed me to be here? Well, it’s right in line with both Life Athletics and Ninja Camp. Which is now under a broader umbrella called “Chosen”. The entire concept is built around having a curated, cultivated, quality life. To fill it with the things you want and the people who inspire you, make you laugh, and make you feel welcome.
I’ve trained up over the years and those fears still exist but I have them, they don’t have me. I dare greatly and so I’m here living a dream that represents a lot because it represents growth.
Today I landed after a hectic -but fun- scooter ride from Ubud to Canggu Bali and was welcomed with open arms, warm smiles and a glass of excellent kambucha.
There were gifts waiting on the gorgeous four poster bed. There were two meals that would rival any top restaurant on the planet via chef extraordinaire, Josh Davies (who will be on the podcast soon!).
There was a yin yoga class, catch with a football in the pool, and the great Talayna Fortunato (3rd at the crossfit games in 2012, 5th in 2013) asking me what specific coaching I wanted in a private training session later in the week.
I’m almost forgetting the most thorough Balinese blessing I’ve experienced in my 6 months on the island, a group of participants who are funny, fit, playful and eager to have a great experience.
I AM leaving things out because I need to get some sleep as we’re leaving here at 6am to go canyoning tomorrow. Today was about landing. About belonging. About choosing a life that inspires and feeling worthy of it. Checking all of those things off the list, we’re going to get the blood pumping tomorrow with what’s been promised to be a day of adrenaline-filled adventure.
I’ll be writing more through the week... time for sleep and to dream about how to take this dream fulfillment to the next level.
I’d love to hear about dreams that you’ve had. Places that you’d love to go and things you’d like to participate in.
I’d especially love to hear about your thoughts on a chosen life. It’s a concept that’s in my head at the moment, being here at Ninja Camp by Chosen and so I’d love to hear what you would add or subtract from your life inside of a paradigm where you bring clear choice to your life.
Jump!
Level up!
