The Leap of Your Life

CHAPTER 9Embrace Your Moment

Standing on the edge of darkness, it was time. His entire life had been a lead up to this moment. As he released the last harness, he took a pause to take it all in. It had been five grueling years in the making. Several times, quitting would have been easier. Knowing the world was watching, he delivered his final message:

“I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes you have to be up really high to see how small you are. I’m going home now.”¹ And with that, Felix Baumgartner took the leap of his life as he tumbled from 128,100 feet down to Earth in a dizzying freefall.

You, too, will have your moment. How it looks will differ, but you’ll know it’s your moment by the way it feels. It’s a blend of inspiration and fear surging through your veins, and you’ve never felt more present.

You’re in a transcendent, flowlike state where you know exactly what you need to do. You’ve got a direct line to your future self, knowing the waiting is done. You feel a rush of inner peace. You’re doing it.After all the talk, all the tapes playing in your head about what to do, or not to do, none of that matters anymore.

Chronos, Kairos, and the Feeling

The ancient Greeks had two definitions of time: chronos, meaning the familiar and linear passing of time—past, present, and future. Once the present turns to past, it’s gone for good. Kairos, another Greek construct, was entirely different; it’s about “supreme” moments. These moments are soaked in opportunity and ...