It is not irritating to be where one is.
It is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else.
SWIMMING
LESSONS
Plunge in
It is the eventuality. Life is not coming to us. We have to
go to it. People stand at the edge of a pool or in the shallow part of the
ocean. Waiting for what? The only way to get used to it is to get in – plunge,
jump, stride or dive. We’re not going anywhere if we wait on the shore. Are we
waiting for life to begin?
Do ‘it’
The dreaded thing. Send a thank you
note; show up for a dinner; call and apologize - even when you don’t feel like
it. It is always a surprise. Frankly, I wake up every day and think I will skip
swimming. Then doing it changes everything.
Adapt
We can get used to anything when it
is good for us. For decades I swam in the same pool. I learned to swim in a new
place. At first I wondered if I would be comfortable getting up in the morning
and not going to my old place. One day I realized I didn’t think about it
anymore.
Be flexible
I swam in the morning for years. Then
life interfered and I had to go at other times. It was liberation to discover
if I didn’t swim in the morning, I could still swim! I was free.
Stay open-minded
Learning to swim in a new place –
even in a new place in the pool - is like learning to sit in a new place. I see
classmates come to class rushing to claim the place where they sat or practiced
during class a week earlier or the day before, so anxious to have their ‘real
estate’. It is very important to have different angles and viewpoints and to
let the world have a different slant on us. We behave differently when we sit
in the front row instead of the back row. Move around. What is crucial is the
ability to be in different places in our heads and in our hearts.
You never know what is going to happen
Life is full of surprises and the
greatest surprises come from within. Often I think I am too tired or decide
(ahead of time) that I will only do half my swim. Unexpectedly I have the best
swim of my week or a longer swim than I have had in ages. Who can tell ahead of
time?
Learn from others
Keep improving. We can always get
‘better’ and we can always grow. Although I am swimming since I was walking,
recently I took a swimming lesson. My stroke improved. I got some pointers
about my kicking. It took a few weeks to integrate what I learned and to get
comfortable but I did improve and I am a better swimmer.
Get the most out of what there is
Some days I have to rush or I get to
the pool a bit later than I planned. I have less time than I wanted. I make the
most out of what there is. Something is always better than nothing.
Do not put obstructions in front of yourself
We can learn to do things we never
thought we could do. The biggest obstruction of all is comparing ourselves to
someone else. There is always someone who is a stronger swimmer or a prettier
swimmer, a faster swimmer. Why think about them? They are bigger, younger, and
different. Give all the attention to yourself. It is not irritating to be where
one is. It is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else.
Change does not mean decline
All things change, nothing is
extinguished. When I was younger I
swam relatively fast. I have slowed down. I don’t do ‘heats’ anymore. But I am
strong in other ways. I have endurance. It takes longer but it gets
accomplished. Stagnation is degenerative but change is evolving. Change is the
only evidence of life.
Stay present
When I swim I try to keep focused on
swimming. Where are my eyes looking? Am I breathing into each lung evenly;
kicking with equal strength? My mind wanders and then I work to get my focus
back and to really think about what I am doing in the moment. It is good
practice. (I confess I have made shopping lists or decided what I was going to
wear to a party while swimming. I sort out a lot. But I keep coming back to my
swim.)
Set modest goals
We can always exceed them.
It’s good when its over – good that it
was done and good that it is done.
