173 Marbles
I actually love swimming but I just hate jumping in the water.
Natalie Coughlin (International swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist)
When I was up at the lake I became aware of my tendency to enter water in a painfully slow manner. Despite being hot from the sun, I would inch out into the shallow lake, wading as my kids teased me (and occasionally splashed me). The process was agonizingly prolonged and I started to question why I just didn’t jump in the lake quickly? The end result is the same - the refreshing water all over my body, but somehow that shift from hot, dry skin to wet, cool skin is challenging for me. Is this just another form of resistance to change?
It doesn’t matter if it’s a pool or a deep lake - I still take my sweet time. Perhaps it’s some survival of the fittest method of testing the waters to make sure that they’re safe to enter, but let’s face it, it’s agua and it’s safe. This year, I became annoyed by my trepidation and I attempted something different. I decided to enter the lake by running in and then plunging once the water passed my thighs. What I noticed is that it was way more fun.
This physical metaphor has left this lingering question: What situations should I be jumping into more willingly? What experiences am I not having by wading by the shore? What would it take for me to immerse myself more easily?
Where are you not taking running dives into life? What holds you back?
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