4 things bungee jumping can teach you about life

Posted on April 12, 2013 by William Ruzvidzo

A few months ago, I bungee jumped off the 128 meter Victoria Falls bridge and plummeted towards the crocodile-infested Zambezi river below. It was one of the most thrilling and exhilarating experiences in my life.

Looking back on it, my bungee jumping experience taught me 4 things about life.

Take the leap of faith.

One of my biggest weaknesses is that I have a tendency to think too much and over analyze things before I make a decision. What I learnt from bungee jumping, is that the longer you wait to take the leap, the more time you have to make excuses and convince yourself to back out. Sometimes in life you just have to take that leap of faith. Close your eyes, jump and everything will work out.

Live in the moment

The biggest thrill from bungee jumping undoubtedly comes from the free-fall and rebound. Afterwards, you fly upwards again as the cord recoils, and then oscillate up and down until you’ve used up all your energy. After this, you’re basically left hanging in mid-air for a minute or two with nothing but the bungee cord keeping you attached to the bridge. This is the part that I actually enjoyed the most.

During that moment, time seemed to stand still. I just spread my arms out and let go and enjoyed the moment. I felt a sense of euphoria followed by a feeling of peace and calm. It was such a Zen moment for me.

What I took away from this, is the importance of living in the moment. Stop thinking too much about the future or dwelling in the past and focus on today.

Jump in the face of fear

There is something about bungee jumping off a 128 meter bridge that makes you feel fearless and invincible. After I completed my jump, I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment and the belief that I could do anything that I set my mind to. My experience has motivated me to take on other goals in life that I thought were unachievable.

The thing about fear is that it will always be there. It will hold you captive and keep you emotionally frozen if you allow it to. Bungee jumping literally forces you to jump in the face of your fears. It teaches you to push through your fear and turn it into courage. And the feeling of pride and accomplishment afterwards is priceless.

Have faith that things will work out

It just so happens that a year ago, a 22 year old Australian tourist fell into the Zambezi River below when her cord broke after she jumped from the very same spot that I did (you can see the video here ). Thankfully she survived.

Sure, it did cross my mind that the same thing could happen to me. But I didn’t let it deter me. I just had to have faith that the cord wouldn’t snap and send me plunging towards the fast flowing rapids below.

I decided to take that risk and trust that it would all work out. I was ultimately willing to take responsibility for my actions no matter the outcome.

Life itself is risky and there’s no way of telling whether the decisions you’re about to make are right or wrong until you’ve made them. You just have to accept responsibility for your actions afterwards. You have to take that risk and have faith that it will pay off. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won’t. In the end, at least you have faced your fears and taken that leap of faith.

William Ruzvidzo is a Social Media Strategist and Content Manager at 88 Creative. Find him on Twitter @william_ruz and at williamruz.com .