Tuesday thoughts And Choosing Courage

Isabelle
Jan 15
3 min read

Hi Friends,

Thank you your feed back from last week’s musings. Today is story time:)

Finally Doing the Thing

There are things we carry quietly for years.Not big dreams that we announce out loud, but small, persistent longings that tap us on the shoulder every now and then. One day. Someday. When things settle down.

Today, I did one of those things. I swung on a trapeze.

For years I drove by this place and had a yearning to do it; to swing from that trapeze. This one is a remnant of the Ringling Circus: weathered, solid, carrying the echo of people who once flew through the air because they dared to trust their grip.

Tito Gaona’s Flying Trapeze Academy in Venice, Florida, offers year-round flying trapeze classes for ages five and up, in a setting that is both safe and deeply rooted in circus history. Located at the former winter home of the Ringling Bros. Circus, the academy is led by world-renowned circus artist Tito Gaona and his family. They offer open classes, private lessons, and summer camps, guiding students from their very first swing all the way to advanced tricks. The focus isn’t on performance or perfection, but on learning, confidence, strength, and importantly—having fun while doing something that once felt out of reach.

So, I signed up. I wasn’t afraid of looking foolish. I was afraid of stepping off the ledge.

Up there, three people stood with me on the platform, steady and calm. I was clipped into a safety belt. Tito was on the ground, giving clear, confident instructions. His wife welcomed me with warmth the moment I arrived, and my friend cheered me on from below. And then there was Tito’s daughter—her quiet, kind voice saying, “I’ve got you.”

That sentence mattered more than I expected.

When Tito said go, I stepped off. Not because the fear was gone, but because I felt held; by the belt, by the people, by the trust in the process. And once I was swinging, I felt… fabulous. Free. Alive. To my surprise, my arms were strong enough. Apparently, muscle memory doesn’t forget everything, even after some neglect.

You could hear and see Tito’s passion for the trapeze in every word he spoke. I asked him when he first stepped onto one.

“Nine months old,” he said.

There’s no fear when you’re nine months old. Fear is learned later.

The first time I stood on that platform, my heart beat out of my chest. The second and third times were easier. Not because the ledge changed, but because I did.

For years, it’s easy to blame circumstances. Children to raise. A marriage to hold together. Responsibilities, expectations, timing. And yes, those things were real. But if I’m honest, fear was real too. Fear of stepping into something unknown. Fear of discovering whether I still had that strength in me.

Here’s the truth, and I won’t sugar-coat it: waiting doesn’t make dreams safer. It just makes them quieter. And one day, they can disappear entirely if we keep ignoring them.

Today, I swung. I trusted my hands. I trusted the bar. And for a brief moment, I trusted myself without overthinking it.

I’m so glad I signed up.For nine years, I waited.

You don’t need a trapeze but you probably have a thing.

The class you’ve wanted to take.The trip you keep postponing.The book you wanted to write.The conversation you’ve rehearsed in your head for months.The version of yourself you keep saying you’ll get to “later.”

Later isn’t guaranteed. And my friend and I spoke about that at lunch. We agreed to enjoy the moment and be in the present and enjoy life. But today showed me something important: courage doesn’t arrive fully formed.

It shows up the moment you step off the platform.

And yes: your heart will race.Do it anyway.

This weeks affirmation: Today I choose courage over waiting. Isabelle

PS: Message me for a free consult to start moving toward a more confident you.

You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.

Until next time,

Isabelle