Listening to Stephen on Saturdays – Part III

 

Listening to Stephen on Saturdays – Part III

Part I     Part II

Author Note: The title of this series is powerful when you realize that Stephen Hopson overcomes the adversity of deafness to succeed in life. Some people are surprised when they understand that they are really “listening” to Stephen.  (Because at first it is strange to think that you are listening to a deaf man.) But when they do truly “listen”, then they understand, that what he has to say is more powerful than the actual words alone.  It happened to me today.

Included is a very inspirational video link at the end of this story. 

“…Now I can fly blind and deaf, it’s all about freedom, it’s all about getting away from the planet, you know…to fly, there is nothing else like it!”- Stephen Hopson talking about getting his instrument rating for flying.

Today I watched and decided to post Stephen’s seven minute speaking reel.   It is truly amazing and inspirational to see, watch, hear and listen to someone who is passionate about being and doing anything in life.  The reel gets better and better as you go through it and then it ends with the quote above. 

I listened very closely to what he was saying. Listening to every word from Stephen.  When it sunk into my soul…my jaw hit the table and my mind was clear except for the thought of that sentence.

“Now I can fly blind and deaf”….If we simple stopped for a moment and think about this first part it has amazing significance to what we are all trying to achieve.  The moment where we turn off the outside noise and information and go inside. Where we go inside ourselves to see what is there.  (Most people are scared of what is inside so they stay far away.)

If we simply, for one second, went inside ourselves and only “listened” to what was deep inside of us we could for a second, “fly” in a world where our thoughts are not battling us with self talk and outside influences are not bombarding us with visuals.  We could then fly our own journeys not just blind and deaf to the world…but deeply open to ourselves.

“It’s all about freedom”…Once we have turn off the outside, listen to what is inside, and begin to fly our own journeys, then we will all realize the freedom that can be had.  The freedom to be anything we want to be, the freedom to listen to what “we” truly want, not what the world thinks it wants for us. 

The freedom to be happy no matter what place, time and situation you are in.  Stephen embodies the true essence of this and he is able to describe it through his flying.  We all search for this freedom, but Stephen is able to explain it in a way that it hits very hard in the heart of me and I hope you. 

“It’s all about getting away from the planet”…Again it is reiterated that it is about getting away from a world that says this and that about what we are, should,  and supposed to be! Then taking actions in getting in touch with the inner you.  The place where all the information really sits… the information that just waiting for you to access it. 

Last night I heard a line from the movie Peaceful Warrior.  In the movie an Olympic Athlete who is meeting with a man, he nick named Socrates, and is looking to him for guidance.  The character Socrates says to him…”Take out the trash!”  The response was…”You take out the trash!”  The answer…”No, take out the trash in here, (pointing to his forehead) so that it is clear and you can see that all the answers are inside you.” 

This sentence/line was very powerful in my mind and the only way to do that is get away from the planet, get away from the world, get away from the daily trash that is holding you back from truly thinking the way you should.

” You know…to fly, there is nothing else like it!”…It is here that you will understand the true meaning of life.  The ability to fly! Not necessarily flying in an airplane like Stephen or flying your body off a cliff, like you see me in some of my BASE Jumping clips, but really flying in life!  When you clear your mind, when you clear the world around you, when you take out the trash you are essentially building a runway for your whole being to take off and fly.

Challenge yourself like Stephen did and see if you can fly blind and deaf…it is very possible  Stephen has made that clear to me.  I am grateful once again to be apart of his words, intentions and inspirations. 

Thank you Stephen.

The 7 minute video that inspired me this Saturday morning.