From Vision to Reality

"No!" I exclaimed in horror as I watched my little iPhone screen.  "Don't do it, Kisha!"  I continued helplessly.

That shock quickly subsided to goosebumps as Kisha Hopwood gracefully slipped out of a (perfectly working) airplane.  The background music accompanying the video triggered that lump-in-the-throat feeling you get when you see someone do something awe-inspiring.  

She continued on to narrate her own experience to the Go Pro camera via American Sign Language.  She relayed the beauty of the view below in a way that only a visual language can do.  

Her face said the rest without a word--or sign.  You could watch as the joy and excitement transformed into a few moments of fear, and then quickly faded into a peaceful demeanor.  She recalls this as a moment she most definitely felt fearless. 

There naturally was anxiety leading up to her jump.  "You could die.  You hit the ground, and you're done.  You can't get your life back."  Her mind raced with fears of death--not to mention the fact that she cannot swim yet, and her dive was over the beach of Ocean City, Maryland.  However, once the realization hit that she was indeed very much still alive, she allowed the moment to fully sink in.  She stared death in the face and not only survived, but actually enjoyed it.

This experience exceeded any risks she had taken before.  And like many FFs I meet, after conquering this feat, her mind became open to even greater challenges, with an "if I can do this, what else can I do?" mentality.

Not long before this, I also watched videos and pictures of Kisha embarking on her first solo European trip.  For her, this also represented a challenge she had hoped to overcome. Although less death-defying, it was still a goal she had set to test her abilities and expand her horizons.  

Tired of the same old boring routine, she made the last-minute decision to set off on a grand adventure.  Much to her family's shock, she didn't even tell them until the day before she left.  Her travels took her to London, Paris, and Amsterdam.  Being Deaf in America has its own set of challenges, but navigating foreign languages added a whole new layer of complexity.

Kisha recounts this trip as being full of mixed emotions; but in hindsight, it was an overwhelmingly positive experience.  She encountered a diverse group of new friends with completely different perspectives and cultures.  It opened her mind even wider than before, to the possibility of approaching life differently.

Not only did she interact with great, new people, she also allowed herself to get lost.  Being without a schedule or itinerary was a bit disorienting at first, but served as an opportunity to simply follow her intuition and see where it led.  Kisha confided that she wouldn't mind being lost on an island for a future challenge.

In between ambitious adventures, she enjoys all things outdoors: hiking, biking, and climbing anything that allows her a great view. 

On tap for upcoming ventures are traveling to Africa and Brazil, white water rafting, riding an ATV, and even possibly writing a book.  Or perhaps you'll even find her zenned out in Bali.




You may be thinking that Hopwood must be unusually lucky, but she will tell you that she believes most of her activities were predestined. 

In 2006, Rhonda Byrne popularized the already-established Law of Attraction in her best-selling book The Secret.  The text outlines the process of a "vision board", in which you collage pictures and words that represent your aspirations.  The key is to maintain these images as a visual affirmation until they materialize.  

Kisha constructed her own montage of dreams and goals, which included skydiving and traveling.  One by one, she ticks off these fantasies turned reality--So much so that she is currently considering ideas for her next board.

She also attributes her newfound lease on life to many spiritual and inspirational books, speakers, and events in addition to The Secret.  But it could easily be argued that Kisha was already a free spirit--just in need of an extra nudge to realize her true nature.

She shared one experience from when she was nine years old, in which her mother drove her to the airport and sent her--alone and confused--to stay in Jamaica for two months with a friend.  Hopwood's family history runs deep into the island, but she grew up in Florida with her single mother and two older brothers.  Her mother later enlightened her to the purpose of this trip, but at the time, Kisha just went with the flow.  She innocently braved her way through what many considered dangerous neighborhoods, wandering from place to place by herself and befriending the local people along the way. This became the first of three such trips, during which she learned a bit more about herself and life each time.  Bolstered by the support of her mother, she also employed her own natural tendencies toward confidence, independence, and fearlessness to make her way. 

Similarly, her mother also brought her to Gallaudet University as a teenager and declared that Kisha would attend after high school.  Gallaudet is a Deaf university in Washington, DC which is a sizable distance from her closest family in Atlanta and Florida.  She nonchalantly thought 'Whatever, mom.  We'll see.'  Sure enough, that's what happened.  Hopwood was, once again, on her own.  But this time, she was equipped with the skills from past experiences to fend for herself.   

The same characteristics that guided her then, still make her a compelling person to be around.  She is confident, determined, friendly, down-to-earth, out-going, laid-back--and also a bit stubborn.  She wears proudly the label her mother once gave her of "go getter".  She also possesses an understated charm, which is evident in her warm smile and easygoing attitude.


Kisha may be easygoing when it comes to personal style, but she has a strong message for fellow females facing fears of their own. Here is some advice, in her own words: 
  

"If you don't like your life now--the same old routine over and over again--redesign it.  You don't want to look back on your life filled with regret for the things you didn't do.  You cannot predict the future, so why not seize the moment now?”  

“Make sure you become comfortable outside your comfort zone.  It may be awkward at first, but eventually you will become used to it.  You never know how something will turn out—good or bad--until you try it.”

“Recognize your negative self-talk and begin to practice positive affirmations.”

“Don't let the news (reports) and other (people) inflict fear on you.  Don't let society get in your way.  You control you.”

“Make a list of your fears, and (then) confront them, one by one.  As you overcome them, release them.  You never know where they may lead you.  With each success, your confidence will grow stronger and stronger."

Kisha Hopwood is living proof that if you can release the fear, take control of your life, and confront your self-imposed limits, you can transform almost any vision into a reality.

Kisha currently resides in the suburbs of Washington, DC, and works for the federal government.  After Gallaudet, she continued to earn an advanced degree at Trinity University - also in DC.