The island challenge was the most liberating thing I have ever done in my life. When I came back from the Residential Week I was bone tired. Worst yet, I was tired and I had so much work to catch up on. The opportunities were endless and I felt like my feet were lifting off the ground. I couldn't seem to catch a break and neither could I seem to make life slow down. I was overwhelmed and I had no way of making it stop. Then Frances shared with the QYL team. I thought BINGO! That's it, here is where I catch my break! I can finally be selfish with my time unapologetic ally and allow myself to regain the normal momentum of life. So, I did the thing the task at hand asked. I WENT ON VACATION! Yes, in the middle of the year, in the middle of life, and in e midst of so many pending tasks. I do not recommend it, but goodness it felt so good. I am sad to report that I did end up doing some work on vacation, but also I am happy to report that I did it with a glass of wine in hand and it felt better than anything I have done in a while! 

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I would get up in the mornings and go sit by the beach! I would go out to a cafe near the ocean and journal, I would simply love on myself! It was worth every missed call, every pending email and worth every daily routine and pattern disturbed. 

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PART 1

THE BENEFITS OF PLAY FOR ADULTS

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I decided to play! Not in the safest of manners, but remember one of the island challenges is that one should go wild, and so I did! I will tell you all about the first part of this story in PART 3 of this assignment, but let me tell you what happened afterwards! I met a complete stranger after I WENT SKY DIVING! By complete stranger, I mean complete. He too had decided to go sky diving and had gone alone. Yes, I went sky diving alone and it wasn't even my birthday. It was his though. Anyway, I met this stranger and he was all sorts of fun. We basically became friends on site because he truly was a mirrored reflection of my crazy! We then went out to go have oysters without a care in the world at the jetty. That wasn't even the fun part, after all that, we decided to go swim in the ocean in the evening after dinner (I do not recommend you try this at home! It is not safe!), and in the freezing cold of the night, I decided to go fully clothed (because no one walks around with a swim suit because no one goes swimming impromptu!), as I was saying, swimming, fully clothed, night... It was so much fun! I laughed, and got my hair wet and played! Truly played! I have no had so much fun in as long as I can remember. He was a stranger and to date he remains that. I refused to exchange numbers, because I wanted it to remain that. A pleasant night of fun with a stranger. A beautiful memory, that is placed on the wall of my memory with no chance of it being ruined! 

I allowed myself to play! It was worth it! 

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PART 2

Your turn! Share a challenge.

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• The Challenge Name - GO SKY DIVING
• The Task - Go sky diving (LOL)
• The Benefit - You will understand why the best things in life are on the other side of fear!
• Your Experience of Doing the Challenge - I lived! I truly, wholeheartedly lived!

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PART 3

Reflect on your whole experience of Module 5.

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I wrote a blog piece on the experience, so I will share it.

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Here goes nothing!

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I found it, that deep rooted sense of peace. The one we so often read about, dream about and hope for, a deep rooted peace that overcomes you, and settles in the still places of your heart.

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I decided to do something I had always reserved for relationships. There are things I deemed fit for a relationship, adventures I would tuck away deep in my relationship wish box. Adventures, travel thrills and romantic moments that I always believed would be reserved for the day I had a handsome man on my arm who I would share these moments with, and not a second before.

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I have a bucket list like many other people. Adventures that will send a thrill of adrenaline into my blood stream, moments that would take my breath away and times that would prove that I have a daring nature. My bucket list is similar to many other people, sky diving, bungee jumping, shark diving and all things adrenaline. The difference though I revered the time these moments would come to pass, I looked forward to a time where my bucket list would have ticks next to items, because I would then be able to prove that hey! I am living my best life, nothing short of best and absolutely amazingly awesome life! The glitch was that these bucket list items always spawned a rather handsome fella in it when I would envision what these moments would look like. So, subconsciously I was waiting. Waiting for a time where I could have my bucket list see the light, waiting for there to be a man on my arm to make my bucket list come to life. I had no idea that I was waiting till the opportunity to live life on the other side of adventure presented itself and I froze!

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“I cannot possibly jump out a moving plane alone”

“How would it look if I went sky diving alone?”

‘Surely, I would come across as the world’s craziest single person ever to live”

“Obviously, you have lost you single mind”

were the thoughts that came to me at the thought of going skydiving.

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So, the idea of jumping out a fully functional plane took root! I was going to go sky diving. The only prerequisite was that I tell no one and I allow myself to go into this adventure all by myself. The liberty of making the decision to go sky diving was intoxicating, it had my blood pumping because I never, in my wildest dreams would have imagined the liberty that lies on the other end of wanting to take on adventure alone. What started as a crazy idea, took root and I eventually couldn’t get myself to think of nothing other than the feeling of jumping out of a moving plane, with only a parachute and my life in my hands. I was excited and Lord knows, at that point, nothing could stop me. Well, until I was at the edge of the plane and it was time to jump. There is no feeling in the world that comes close, to seeing yourself at the edge of a plane (with the door open) and taking that step into the unknown. Not knowing what feeling lies on the other side of the jump, whether it will feel like a near death experience, or whether it will feel like the world tilted on it axis, or whether it will feel like flying.

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It felt like my heart had left my body, stayed on the plane and bid me farewell. In 5 seconds you realize that you are crazy and genuinely need to get yourself checked. However, it feels like the most liberating, heart freeing experience of your life. Your body gives into the feeling of adrenaline, a mixer of pleasure and exuberance takes over and you realize for the first time in your life, nothing in this life can ever have you feel, will ever come close because you have overcome your worst fear, falling out of a plane!

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Would I do it again, hell no! Would I recommend it? Ten times over.

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Why would I not do it again? It’s a bucket list item, meaning that I am onto new adventures and trying new things. Till next time, I am officially cooler than you! I jumped out of a FULLY FUNCTIONAL MOVING PLANE AND CALLED IT SKY DIVING!

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Book your sky diving experience at ground rush adventure sky diving in Swakopmund

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With Love

From One Powerhouse to another

Love Mavis

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PICTURES of Island Challenge