This past weekend my party guests were flying high.  Literally.

To celebrate the 9th birthday of one of my beloved clients we took a trip across the bay to the Trapeze Arts Circus School.  The school is amazing!  It teaches trapeze, tightrope, tissue, and many more of the circus arts. The amazing thing was that in less than 2 hours, our entire party was "flying through the air with the greatest of ease". Swinging on a trapeze and being caught just like the pros. Remember, these are 8 and 9 year old girls!

The incredible birthday cake and our themed snacks.

The thing that struck me most as I watched each girl (and a few parents) confront their fears, is that trapeze really is the great equalizer.  I don’t care if you are the biggest, baddest, most respected dude on the block, once you are 40 feet up in the air, upside down, on a swinging wooden bar you begin to question just how brave you are.

The girls also learned amazing trampoline skills

It takes real courage to climb that ladder and mount the platform. Even more to let the instructor hold you by a harness while you lean out over the edge, waiting for you to “hup” (the international signal for “let go”).  Lily, one of the school's owners. says she’s held team building sessions for some pretty important folks and you’d be surprised how humbled they are by the experience.  For some, the climb up the ladder is enough to cause their stomachs to rebel.

Our incredible flying party girls!

But when you do it...when you overcome your fears and everyone around you cheers, there is the reassurance that you really can do anything.  It not only builds your confidence, it creates confidence where there might not have been any. You discover just how brave you really are.

Me, in my flying days...

That is exacly what happened to my group this weekend.  It was a wonderful, empowering day.  A great party and experience which I am certain none of them will forget.  For each and every one of them there was no doubt about it - they pushed the limits.  To infinity and beyond!