The Human Bird

Now don’t go jumping to the conclusion that the government has finally released details on their super-secretive man-bird mutation experiments. Such evidence will never be released. No, no. “Human Bird” here refers to, who else, Jeb Corliss. This man and his wingsuit have lived up to and surpassed the bar set by their lifelong rivals…birds. If you can’t beat em, join em. In this case the birds are the ones doing the joining.

It may appear that our idol was born to be a flyer but what you may not know is that he first approached the sport with a peculiar mindset. In his interviews, Corliss reveals his childhood depression and suicidal thoughts, how base-jumping was basically the ultimate win-win for him. If he succeeded, he’d be among the ballsiest man on Earth. If he failed, he’d welcome death with open arms. Today we know what became of his fate, and he puts it best when he says “In my search for death, I really did find my life”. His whole life is a true testament to never giving up. As a child, he didn’t give up on life. After being arrested for his failed attempt to jump off the Empire State Building, he didn’t give up on his dream. And after narrowly escaping death at Table Mountain, he didn’t give up on his passion. You don’t have to have Jeb’s counterphobia to confront your fear of failing, just keep pushing forward and eventually you’ll soar.