“You can live your life by chance or by choice. It’s really up to you” – Robin Sharma
I’m in short but sweet mode today so quick and dirty updates are the rage.Today, I’m talking about Bungee Jumping. And BaZi.
One of my favourite questions that I like to pose to clients (I’m one of those @#$#@#%$@$ BaZi consultants that doesn’t like to give answers you know – got to make you WORK in my session) is the Bungee Jump Question.
(incidentally, I have NEVER done a Bungee jump. I have a fear of heights).
You decide you’re going to do a bungee jump. You’ve been strapped up. And are now standing on the windy platform, starring at your feet, down at either what makes you feel a rush of adrenaline, or the cold knife of fear.
Typically in a bungee jump, you are supposed to jump. But if for reasons unknown, you, chicken out. Well, usually they push you off the platform anyway.
So, you are going to end up falling through the air, with some rope attached to your feet EITHER WAY.
My question is this: would you rather JUMP? Or be pushed?
Remember, the outcome is the same.
People who want to be in control of their destiny will say JUMP.
People who let external forces control their life, will hem and haw and give me five thousand excuses why they would never sign up for a bungee jump or that there is no difference since the outcome is the same.
WRONG. There is a difference. And that difference is called FREE WILL.
The outcome is the same. But the journey there is different. Someone who is pushed did not exercise a choice of free will. They exercised NO WILL. They abdicated the responsibility of their choice to someone else. Because they cannot face the idea of living with their choice.
If I’m going to be doing something I don’t want to do, then I do it on my terms.
If I have to jump off that bungee jump platform one way or another, I want to jump EMBRACING MY FEAR and GLORYING IN THE MOMENT.
Not scared crapless screaming for my mother all the way down.
I want it to be a MOMENT in my life, even if it is a moment I don’t necessarily want to have.
So take the Bungee Jump BaZi theory test and ask yourself – would I jump? Or was I pushed? And ask yourself, *really*, which is the better choice.
“Listen, kid: he gave these bozos the greatest gift in the universe – you think he didn’t give it to us, too?”
Like the quote…..a few years back, it would have been something I acknowledged ‘in theory’ but not necessarily appreciated or understood in practice. But when you realise that life is ‘what it is’ (ie. that its not always fair; that there are ups and downs; that no amt of wishing it to be otherwise is going to change anything, that you can only control your own attitude and approach and not anybodyelse’s, etc.), you come to the conclusion that you have to take responsibility for how you choose to live and experience your own life.
At least, that’s how I interpret Robin Sharma’s quote. Technically, what he’s trying to say is that even if you are going through a bad/difficult period in life, taking responsibility by ‘owning’ it rather than playing the role of victim can give you a sense of empowerment, thus changing your experience of it.
Not an easy call, but one which needs to be done if we are to make any progress…..
Hello,
I want to tell you my story to shed some light on meaningful details that can be related to your analogy.
I actually did bungee-jumping myself out of a bridge in Grenoble (France). This was long time ago, before the idea of it was even remotely popular. As a matter of fact there was only one place in Europe to offer it and the I think Grenoble was the highest BJ for quite some time (over 100m).
I jumped on my own will and I screamed out of my lungs like I thought I cannot scream.
If you are human, and if you are not insane, the moment you step on the bridge rail, look 300 ft down, feel the wind pushing you a bit as you try to find your balance, you will feel fear. It is unavoidable.
The “I don’t do it because I have fear of heights” is a bit of hiding behind a finger. Everyone has that feeling. I was in the paratroopers for 2 years and I do not recall a single jump in which I did not have some fear.
Life is experiences and some of them are scary. The choice either to hide in the illusion of safety, or find the courage to overcome our fears. The latter is -for me- what makes life shine.
Jump and smile, my friend, Jump and smile.
If there is free will, there should be a 3rd choice.
How much of our lives is free will and destiny? Can destiny be changed? How can we prove it if in fact it did or didn’t change? We can’t live life twice in the same time and space again.
Where is the facebook *like* button so I can link to this? This is FABULOUS!! So very true about either we live in the moment embracing it or we abdicate and someone else has to push us to do something (not our own free will). Thanks. I know so many astrologers (western and vedic) who squabble about these principles.