Picture this,
You are standing on top of a mountain,
On a cool autumn morning in the Colorado Rockies.
With both feet on the ground,
You stand approximately 10,
000 feet above sea level and several thousand feet above the valley floor below you.
As you slowly pivot on your right foot to take in the sights around you,
Your panoramic view is an entire 360 degrees and the view is nothing less than breathtaking.
The wind gently brushes against your face and instinctively you hold your arms up parallel to the ground,
As if to take flight.
You cup the wind in your hands and feel its power.
If your arms were wings,
You could soar.
With the sun on your face and the wind in your hair,
The thought of being airborne is liberating.
You take a deep breath and realize that on this day,
Anything is possible.
To take flight,
First you must be light,
In this case,
Light in spirit,
Leaving behind all thoughts of issues,
Problems,
And concerns that add weight to a busy mind.
Stepping away from the daily mental and emotional baggage,
If only momentarily,
Is not only enticing,
It's necessary.
So you find yourself taking a slow deep breath,
A big sigh,
Symbolically releasing any and all thoughts that keep you tethered to the ground.
A deep sigh always makes you feel better.
Such is the power of a deep breath,
And such is the power of the wind.
This morning,
Your bird's eye view will be unparalleled,
Even to that which you have right now,
As you prepare to take flight.
You stand close to the edge of the mountain,
In the safety of a two-seated harness,
With a paragliding pilot standing right behind you.
Attached to you both is a strong,
Yellow,
Nylon parachute,
Laid carefully on the ground behind you.
With a tap on your shoulder from your pilot,
You take two steps forward into the wind and instantaneously,
You are lifted ever so gently up in the air,
Suspended safely high above the ground.
Speechless,
The experience is exhilarating,
And it takes your breath away,
Yet at the same time,
It opens your heart and mind to the freedom of thought.
Rising high above the ground is powerfully symbolic of rising above life's problems and moving on.
Seated comfortably in the harness,
With your feet dangling below,
And your hands resting comfortably on the harness structure,
You look out in front of you for miles and miles.
With unparalleled visibility,
You see white-capped mountains all around you,
Against a backdrop of deep blue sky.
To the west sets the crescent moon.
As you look off to the left,
You see mist down below,
That,
From the ground,
Must surely appear to be clouds.
Then,
You become aware of the sun,
And once again you can only describe this airborne experience as heavenly.
Today,
The wind is strong,
Yet gentle,
And with the thermals generated from the mountains,
You could stay airborne for hours.
Your pilot slowly banks toward the left in a gentle turn,
To catch a thermal draft.
With the grace of an eagle,
You rise up several hundred feet,
Quite effortlessly,
With the exception of the occasional soft sound of wind.
The ride is divinely silent.
As you sail over the valley below,
You look down to see scores of aspen trees,
Changing hue into their autumn regalia of gold and orange.
Their color is speckled among the pockets of pines and evergreens.
And this perspective is stunning.
As you gracefully pass over a river,
The moving water below shimmers and sparkles with the sun's light.
In what seems like a reach close enough to touch,
A red-tailed hawk flies below you in a circular pattern,
And he too catches a thermal wind,
And rises ever so gently and effortlessly.
Several hundred feet to your eye level,
You are astonished to see to your left,
The hawk hovering below the nylon parachute.
He flies in unison with you,
Banking with every turn the pilot makes,
As if guiding your flight as you make eye contact.
You realize you are both one with the wind,
And this stirs your soul to new heights.
Today,
The panorama is breathtaking,
And again,
You are keenly aware of the silence that only reinforces the beauty you see all around you.
Take a moment to look around,
Hovering over the mountains.
The stillness is inspiring.
You are miles away from the cares and worries of the real world.
This feeling gives you the freedom to separate yourself long enough to gain a new sense of clarity with any issues or problems that might normally weigh heavy on your mind.
This majestic panoramic view above the clouds reinforces the importance of perspective,
A new perspective that will stay with you well after you're back on the ground.
Take a moment to see your life from this new vantage point.
Take a slow deep breath,
And begin to notice that from this perspective,
Aspects of your life are indeed clear and manageable.
As you take in the beauty of the landscape,
And the inspiration of the ingenuity that has allowed this flight above the clouds,
You notice that your pilot has ever so gracefully circled in a wide circumference to a point where you are now just above treeline on the valley floor.
He observes the windsock below to make adjustments for a safe landing,
And within seconds,
Your feet softly touch ground,
Gently running forward for just a few steps with the momentum of the flight.
Then you come to a stop filled with an exuberance that words cannot describe,
Yet your heart will never forget.
As you make your way back to the parking lot,
Feeling your feet solidly on the ground,
You look up and spot the hawk high in the sky,
A powerful symbol to remind you to take yourself lightly wherever you are.
