virgin islands scene

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
 

 

Wednesday, June 30, 1999

Float to the top

Do your priorities and commitments empower you or imprison you? If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stifled by it all, here’s a suggestion: go swimming!

When you try to hold water in your hand, it will soon drain away and you’ll lose it. Yet when you immerse yourself in the water, without attempting to hold on to it, letting it flow gently past you, you can enjoy the experience for as long as you wish. If you fight and struggle against the water, you put yourself in danger of drowning. But when you calm down and relax, your natural buoyancy, plus a modest amount of effort, will keep you peacefully afloat no matter what the depth.

Do you find yourself struggling against the very things you set out to achieve? Stop for a moment. Consider the absurdity of that, and the waste of effort which results. Quit thrashing about and permit yourself to calmly float. Your efforts will be infinitely more effective when they’re not directed against themselves.

When the stresses and pressures have you feeling like you’re drowning, go for a peaceful swim in your mind. Let the depth of your commitment support you rather than sink you.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©1999 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.