Daniel Randall

Friday, November 6th, 2009 is the day for setting powerful new goals, leaving the past where it belongs, and turning over a new leaf. What will I pack for this journey and what will I leave behind? I’m making up my mind to transform my mind and to get ready for a whole new outlook!  One way to hit the reset button on old programming is to ask new questions of yourself. One great place to start might be, “What keeps happening to me,  what do all the seeming problems in my life have in common?” It’s simply a matter of changing the way you look at things – changing your mind – creating entirely new perspectives. The older I get the more I’ve come to realize that out of difficult situations, many times, there are positive lessons learned…but only if we choose to look, listen and observe. Of course it is never fun to be faced with a negative challenge. Pain and heartache aren’t a thrill and great sadness brings isolation, however, if we can look for the positive or the learning in every situation, particularly the difficult ones, we not only grow but we come out on the other side much stronger and less bruised.  We already know this stuff, but sometimes it just finally clicks.  Have a happy and wonderful weekend my friends and remember…love is the answer.

There is no guaranteed outcome in flying or riding, only reasonable assurance at best, and a complete dice roll at worst, But as with anything, it all starts with a willingness to try something new and look at the same situation differently in order to allow something new to emerge.  And with that comes a new found freedom born from the death of conventional thinking.  Many of you might think that this means taking on more risk, and that flying and riding is risky enough.  But this is not about risk being the means to an adventure;  this is about your willingness to embrace the unknown being the means to your next adventure.  The definition of adventure is not knowing for sure what will happen next.  You won’t know if it will work, but you have to try.

The next time you go flying or riding, endeavor to be willing.  Embrace the unknown no matter how small or trivial because the thrill and the excitement of a different perspective can live in the smallest of places, but the effect it can have on you can be surprisingly large.  Some of my best moments flying and riding this year have come from small moments of testing my thinking in familiar places that resulted in discovering something new, or just rediscovering the benefits of good old fashioned belief.  Look at these small moments as training for the big ones, as we don’t get the chance to go big very often and we’d best be ready when the time comes.  But most of all these moments keep the adventure alive within us and scratch that certain itch.

I got the Kitewing  the other day and all I can say is, WOW!  The new Rage 55 is made like a precision instrument.  I only got to play with it a few times before I jacked my ankle on a speedflying, paragliding trip recently, but  just playing around with it a little bit I see it’s worth every single penny.  This is such a fun toy! Kitewing is a wing shaped kite. Many people call it “the wing” for short, just because of its shape. You can use Kitewing with your skis, snowboard, mountainboard, skates, foot launching and ground handling, etc. Many say it is like a mix of kite surfing, wind surfing,  and a little bit of hang gliding.  If you would like to come check it out, demo it, or order one, please contact me.  Click the picture above for a Kitewing commercial.  See you out there soon.

When looking at the picture above, it is important to remember that distances can be incredibly deceiving in the mountains. It’s kind of like being in Las Vegas and thinking that the casino “just over there” is within walking distance. Anyone who tries to walk around in Vegas soon realizes that the casinos there are so massive that the distances between them become nearly impossible to judge. Even after an hour of walking toward the casino that you thought was just a few minutes away, it seems as if you are no closer to it than when you started. That’s what it’s like in the mountains, except that the mountains are even bigger than casinos, and sadly, there are no cocktail waitresses when you finally get there.

Henry David Thoreau once said, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” If Thoreau was correct, then I think Oregon’s Wilderness Areas could be considered a virtual fountain of youth, because in my experience, it is almost impossible to fly and ride this area without being overwhelmed with enthusiasm.

Everyone has heard the saying about how “The grass is always greener on the other side.” Well, this overly optimistic outlook is one of the problems that I often struggle with when I’m out scouting for new spots. On one recent expedition, it almost cost me my life.

I met this amazing photographer and really nice guy Boone the other day; I’m really looking forward to shooting with him and working on some projects!  Click on the pics to check out his site for some great eye candy.

This was super fun, pretty sketchy launch but had a really good flight.  Can’t wait till this site is on and we can stay up for hours.  Let the East winds begin!

You must always have a secret plan. Everything depends on this: it is the only question. So as not to be conquered by the conquered territory in which you lead your life, so as not to feel the horrible weight of inertia wrecking your will and bending you to the ground, so as not to spend a single night more wondering what there is to do or how to connect with your neighbors and countrymen, you must make secret plans without respite. Plan for adventure, plan for pleasure, plan for pandemonium, as you wish; but plan, lay plans constantly.

Had a few fun flights at the Oregon Coast this last week!

Taking off

Whoosh

My friend Joar went back to Norway, and now speedflying in Scotland.  Sweet!

He also just got back from wingsuit BASE jumping the 2000 ft big walls in Norway.  Livin the life!

Flying the new Gin Bobcat at Pine Mountain

Within all of us is a varying amount of space lint and star dust, the residue from our creation.  Most are too busy to notice it, and it is stronger in some than others.  It is strongest in those of us who fly and is responsible for an unconscious, subtle desire to slip into some wings and try for the elusive boundaries of our origin. 

~K.O. Eckland, “Footprints On Clouds”

We appear on Earth as separate beings with diverse destinies; but as each separate raindrop is a part of the sea, so are we each a part of the ocean of awareness, the Body of God.  Find love and inner peace deep within the highest truth that we are all one family.  Leave behind the baggage of fear, envy, and resentment; fly aloft on the wings of understanding, to enter the boundless land of Compassion.

The world of nature moves in rhythms, patterns, and cycles- the passing of the seasons, the movement of the stars, the ebb and flow of the tides.  The seasons do not push one another; neither do clouds race the wind across the sky.  All things happen in their own good time- rising and falling and rising like the ocean waves, in the circles of time. - Millman

Had a lucky break in the weather yesterday, flew around the neighborhood. Spring is here!  Almost…

There is a Mystery that many call God, Manifesting as Universal Love, a set of Laws, and a Great Process.  That Process works through each and all of us, and that Process is perfect.  As we discover this fundamental truth in the journey of our lives, we find that wherever we step, the path appears beneath our feet. - Millman