The Fall

Will you jump into the unknown and trust that there may be soft cushioning to absorb your fall, because you are following your heart? (Image: Office.com)

 

by Sandi Martinez

I’ve always been fascinated with a scene in particular from the movie, Avatar.  I’m sure many of you are familiar with this movie.  It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, and won three: Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction.  It was also the first movie ever to gross over $2 billion.

I could go on and on with little factoid tidbits on this amazing epic science fiction film, but what I’m really interested in, is sharing an important message that I took away with me (which BTW there are many messages, throughout this movie).  In this particular scene, Neytiri has been chosen by Mo’at, the Omaticaya’s spiritual leader, (and Neytiri’s mother), to teach Jake Sully their Omaticaya ways.

Jake and Neytiri are out and about, tracking, smelling, tasting, and ‘experiencing’ life all around them.  The shot in the scene is very high up and Neytiri fearlessly takes a dive, falling quite gracefully, as she grabs on to gigantic foliage leaves for brief support.  It’s as if she is sailing through the air, and anticipates the inevitable fall.  She continues to bounce off and slide down quite a drop, and then finally to the ground – without a scratch mind you.

Jake watches with surprise and wonder… and then it’s his turn.  He adjusts his bow, and makes the jump, though I must say completely lacking any of the grace and composure that Neytiri has shown throughout the fierce fall.  He gets bumped, scratched, slapped, you can hear the branches and leaves snapping, and then quite disoriented, he falls.  He gets up shakes it off, and then they keep ‘keeping on’.

I asked myself why this scene in particular had the effect it did on me, and still does, nearly three years after its release.  It’s not that some of us fall better or easier.  It’s that while some of us are teetering at an edge, and afraid to jump, others can see the support, a way to hang on, through the fall; and fear ceases to exist.  And then others like me are pushed off – whether or not I was ready – the push came, then the fall, and then the getting up.  The question has never been for me, ‘what will happen if I fall’?  The question all along has been, ‘what happens if I don’t jump’?

What about you?  As you start your new path as an Animal Massage Practitioner, does the fear of falling/failing cross your mind, and will you fight back to keep your faith, knowing you are on the right path?  Will you jump into the unknown and trust that there may be soft cushioning to absorb your fall, because you are following your heart?