The Best Jump without a Rope!

It’s impossible to bring up The Dark Knight Rises without mentioning the tragedy that struck those innocent movie goers in Aurora in the same breath.

And while this post is not about this terrible incident, I feel compelled to say that my heart and my thoughts are with those victims and their families. I wish them peace in their hearts and minds.

Shifting gears.

My wife and I did indeed go see the movie. And while we have a difference of opinion on how it ended (I was right ; ), we both agreed that is was very well done. From the acting to the action, nice job! A very good film indeed.
And you know what? There was one message that really stuck with me.

Tiny spoiler alert!

Bruce Wayne finds himself beaten, battered, and imprisoned in an underground prison. The only way out is through a well that leads to ground level, but many men have died trying to escape.

Only one person has ever made it to the top. And that person was a child.

Failed attempts.

Having heard the story of the child, Bruce decides to nurse himself back to health and attempt the jump.
Like many prisoners before him, he ties a rope around his waist to keep him from plummeting to his death.
After numerous failed attempts and many bumps back down the stone walls of the well, another prisoner shares the secret.
“You must do it as the child did….without a rope.”

Certain Death Changes Things.

Realizing that a fall without a rope means certain death, Bruce Wayne realizes that he must attempt it. His fear of failing without something to fall back on is his only chance.
I’m certain you can guess what happens next.
He makes the jump.

The Message.

So why did this stick with me? Why is THIS my take-away from the movie?
Because in a world where too often life imitates art for the worst, there is a message here that resonates with me.

We sometimes jump with ropes.

Sure we may not be facing a life or death situation like the movie, but we do face important decisions every day that will absolutely impact our lives.
And too many times we have ropes tied around our waists to ease the fall if we fail.
We know we have something to fall back on if we don’t quite make “the jump.”
And while we like the safety of not failing, these “ropes” often act as anchors to our current position in life.

These “ropes” keep us bound.

“Ropes” such as “Well….I tried”, or “I’ve tried everything and nothing works”, or “I guess I’ll never be one of those skinny people.”

These ropes are mindsets that we use to fall back on, but they tether us to our current position. We will only get so far until we fall back down the well.

The Only Way.

The only way to make the jump is to cut free from these ropes.
The only way to escape self-impisonment is to take any other option off the table.
The only way to change your station is to free yourself from these tethered mental ropes you possess.
No ropes. No safety net. No telling yourself “oh well…I tried.”
If you want to make the jump, you have to jump without a rope.

And how do you get rid of them? How do you untie the ropes?
Well you are the one holding them. They belong to you. You can let them go anytime you like.
Is it scary? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.