CHOICES (Episode #7) – Antonio Arias

ANTONIO ARIAS: Performing in the face of fear, and staying present in a future-oriented world

Puerto Rican body flight coach, Antonio Arias, is a mechanical engineer who travels the planet helping experienced parachutists improve their free fall skills. An avid Formula 1 fan since childhood, Antonio earned his engineering degree from Lehigh University in 2009.

Unlike many of my skydiving guests so far, Antonio has NOT been competing and earning accolades since he began skydiving in 2009. Instead, Antonio followed his mechanical interests and pursued a job at a wind tunnel — a vertical free-fall simulator. It was on that path, as a maintenance engineer for iFly Indoor Skydiving, based in Austin, TX, where he eventually became a flight instructor at Indoor Skydiving Bottrop in Germany. His skills grew quickly, and by 2016, Antonio was in demand as a coach and organizer at wind tunnel events and skydiving events worldwide.

Today, at 31, Antonio has decided to stop traveling so much. To that end, Antonio is back at home with his family in Puerto Rico where he recently opened the Puerto Rico Skydiving Academy so that he can share his experiences with those closer to home while simultaneously pursuing an education at the Polytechnic University in San Juan as a “non-degree-seeking” student.

I’ve only know Antonio for about three years, but when I first met him, I could see, and hear, that even as a coach and mentor, he was constantly looking for opportunities to learn. And that, combined with the fact that he has extraordinary perspectives on life, is the reason that I invited him to the show.

In this episode, Antonio really drops his guard to share his unique perspective about staying open to opportunities, performing in the face of fear, self-awareness and the value of pushing his mind. He talks about the attractiveness of the unknown, the patience and support of his parents, and how he has learned to make plans with flexibility built in. And in the end, Antonio shares a couple of super simple yet powerful tips for staying present in our all-too-busy 21st century societies.

Like all of my first 10 guests, we recorded this conversation over a year ago, but as you will hear, the lessons and inspiration from Antonio’s life are timeless. So thanks to all of you for tuning in.

Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with my friend, Antonio Arias.