January 2, 2014

Many people are taking on new projects and ambitions this time of year, and I think it is important to remember that, while working on great new challenges in life can be extremely daunting, we should not let that dissuade us from our goals. We may find ourselves in a new and unfamiliar situation. We many believe we are surrounded by people who, we are sure, know more than us, have more skill than us, and actually belong there. However, if you find yourself there, take courage. If you have put yourself there, congratulations. Sometime we bite off more than we can chew. Sometimes we do it purposefully, deliberately. However, that does not diminish the overwhelming feelings of dread, fear, and hesitation that threaten to bring down a project before it ever gets started. Feelings of excitement mix with anxiety, and the long coveted, newly acquired, energy feigns exhaustion.  Sometimes in a heroic effort to push ourselves, we get in over our heads and we feel as if we are drowning.

If you ever feel like you are drowning, know this:

It does not take years for a person to drown. It does not take months. It does not take days. It rarely takes hours for a person to drown. It only takes minutes or seconds. If you feel like you are drowning, measure the feeling. If you have felt like that for very long, you are not drowning- *You are swimming!*

Yes the waters may still be rough. The waves, and wind may still come in violently from unforeseen directions. It may still be difficult, and it may still take your breath from you, as you struggle to keep your head above water.  But you are swimming. Be proud of that, and remember that the more you swim, the better at it you will become. Work on your technique. Work on judging the flow of the world around you. Soon enough, it will become more effortless, and less fearsome. Give it time, and even more effort! The waves may never become any less fierce nor the tasks any less difficult, but you will be more fit and more agile. You will feel as if you could swim forever.

Pause to remember why you took on that challenge to begin with. Do not let yourself become so burdened with the struggle that you forget why you put yourself there to begin with. Remember your inspiration and longing to do this thing that you are now struggling in. Think back on the feelings that made you take actions and you may find that you still feel the action needs taken, even now knowing the obstacles. Look back at the progress you have made, the work you have already accomplished toward your goals, and find new inspiration to press on. Be proud of what you are doing, and if you still feel small to the task, inadequate to your ambition, then at least have pride in the courage it took to take on such a task.

We are all swimming. We are doing pretty well. And none of us are drowning.

-Michael Speck