Stepping out of your comfort zone - is bravery!

I'm inspired and awed by the people pushing their own boundaries doing something they initially refuse to.
An evening a messenger text popped up on my phone "who's up for flying paraglider tomorrow?". Robin is home for a short while, and he's a tandem paraglider pilot. It happened that my sister was visiting me at the time, so I arranged for a tandem flight right away.

And asked my sister afterwards....

The first reaction from my sis was "OH HELL NO!!!!" With her fright of heights she was not even the tiniest bit tempted to come along.

I didn'n cancel the appointment... because I know what a trooper she is. And I've seen the reaction after a flight by anyone who has tried it - even with acrophobia.

The next morning she started to ease in a little bit.. "well...It looks so cool, but I cannot promise I'll go through with it. At least I can come hike the mountain with you and just walk back down instead."

I just knew it.. - It's on a roll!!

On our hike up the sun cheered us on our way

My sister probably thinking what the h** she was about to get herself into*

Perfect day. Perfect conditions. And may I say perfect company!
Gentleman @aenok3 carried the tandem harness to the top - like a real gentleman police he is (see...norwegian police is quite polite!) The sun was just about rising above the moutains, and the white landscape is like a white canvas ready to be painted with stories to tell. Stories about bravery.

Andreas and Robin on their way up the first hilltop

Getting closer to the top my sister already started finding excuses and escapes to hike back down again. I just repeated we'll make the final decision at the top... and that either way, it's more dangerous walking down this icy steep mountain instead of flying safely down in perfect conditions with Robin - who is one of the most skilled pilots around (and in Norway). Just by hiking her way up the mountain she felt the phobia kick in. Me on my hand I was thinking; shit... if she doesn't choose to fly down I'll have to walk down with her to safely bring her back down on the icy track.

Last climb up

At the top it was freakin' freezballs so we didn't have time to sit down for our lunch and tea we'd carried all the way up. We hauled ass getting our shit together, wings spread out and I dressed my sister in all the down and wool garment I had brought. Becuse if there was one thing for sure I wanted, was this flight to be as comfortable as possible when she was fighting her fears. In no time we were all in our harnesses, and when I recall the day I realize I never asked her on the top. I just made shit happen. And my sister was so focused on not stressing out, she was more or less occupied with just breathing.

And I could tell by the sound at the takeof;f her belly kicked up and her body was in fight&flight modus and forced to freeze - as she was not able to go anywhere....she was literally pushing her limits - I yelled to her: REMEMBER TO BREATHE!! And off they go!

Photo by Robin's GoPro

The joyfull scream filling the air a few seconds after told me she was litterally flying! Flying on her courage, stress release and superhigh on the adrenaline shootig through her veins. Me and Andreas got airborne as well and all of us soared a short while before we had to head for the landing site.

Meeting up at the landing site my sister was on an alltime high. She had crushed her fears, pushed her limits and expanded her comfort zone by millions of measures! She had a blast. A flight of a lifetime!
She's a totall badass!

"well, now that I know how wonderful this is, you are welcome to invite me again to fly paraglider..and I realize why you do this."

Paragliding into the sunset like..

Thanks to Robin and Andreas @aenok3 for contributing to this lifetime experience for my beloved sister. This is a moment becoming a memory for life.

And maybe I am the worst sister ever? hehe... well, luckily she thanked me afterwards.
I love to see people breaking through their imaginary boundaries and mastering life. I love to see the smile on their face when they rise to the occasion. No matter if it's through paragliding, or it's accomplishing any task.

Selfconfidence and selfesteem with a happy face is the fashion I think looks the best on people. :-)

/Linn Elise

bravery
/ˈbreɪv(ə)ri/
knowing something is incredibly stupid, and you point the fxx finger to it and do it anyway