What if you could walk on water?

The other day it occurred to me that our emotions and fears are like currents in a river. Once we are caught up in them, we get carried away by the sheer magnitude of our fears or feelings. Like a swimmer caught in a rip current, we feel trapped and powerless to escape and the more we fight, the further we get from shore.

I couldn’t help but wonder what if we could float on the currents? How would our life change if we stayed out of the water or, better yet, crossed it?

There is always something to fear or worry about in life. If you can’t think of something, just watch TV. The media will be happy to tell you how bad things are and how scared and powerless you must feel. Negativity is contagious, which is why misery loves company. But no matter how much you worry, it won’t change your life or make your problems go away. Fear and worry breed more fear and worry creating a giant whirlpool that goes round and round and goes nowhere.

Have you ever noticed that there are some people who don’t indulge in that kind of thinking? They focus on what they want to happen or what they can make happen. They see the potentials and fear, but gleefully ignore or exceed them, their eyes on the horizon of their goals. They seem calm and at peace with life.

There is a story in Richard Bach’s book “Illusions” that illustrates this perfectly. Once a village of creatures lived along the bottom of a great crystal river. Each creature clung tightly to the rocks at the bottom and resisted the current, which is what they were taught. One day a brave creature said that I am tired of holding on and that I will let go and see where the current takes me. The rest of the town told him he was a fool; he would be crushed against the rocks and killed. He let go and at first fell against the rocks, but refusing to hold onto the current he lifted him up and away. And the creatures downstream seeing it float declared that it is a miracle, a creature like us that flies. He told them that the river delights to set us free if we dare to let go.

Like this brave creature, all we have to do is take a chance, drop the rocks, and rise above the currents into the flow of life. The world will tell you that it is a bad idea and then it will recognize you as a miracle that you really are.

Call to action:

Find a challenge you’ve been struggling with and commit to finding a new perspective. Start over and let go of everything you think you know. Close your eyes and imagine that you are floating mostly looking down.

What do you see that you couldn’t see before? What else is possible?