Twenty Seconds of Insane Courage

supported Vrschikasana pose

I'm back from my winter holidays. While I was away, I had committed to a 40-day personal meditation practice (which I failed to complete) and I had verbally committed to swimming lessons with my kids' teacher. First few times I saw him, I opted not to remind him. Then the weather got unpredictable, so I figured I was in the clear. Until my husband (who sometimes thinks he's my agent) asked if Frank had any free time while my kids would nap. Busted!

By 36 years old, learning how to swim has made every edited bucket list. My only attempt at swimming lessons failed when I felt my progress was too slow. I had accepted that the most I'd do in water is dip 'til the hip. So after eight lessons too many, I hung up my goggles, nose plug, and life belt! But after having two kids and a pool (obviously not my choice), I kinda felt swimming lessons were unavoidable.

Then the day I had hoped to avoid came and it was just me and Frank in 3 ft. of chlorine. He starts by telling me that having my head under water is meditation (had someone told me that after all these years, I'd be teaching underwater meditation today!). As I held my breath with my head under, I surrendered to the idea that water is calm if I'm calm. After my session, Frank told me I'd probably be swimming from shallow to deep water in five classes (that's it?!). To think, for all these years, I sat pool side admiring under water handstands, and now that can be me.

And while I was on my H2O high, I decided to attempt an advanced yoga pose that I've been admiring for months. After 2, "kick up, repeat", I got into a supported scorpion pose! I tell ya, fear is so crippling. We get so caught up in "what if" that we surrender our capability, confidence, and courage to fear. If you really think about it, learning how to swim or flipping over upside down is all about the first 20 seconds.  It takes just 20 seconds of insane courage to achieve what you believed was impossible. Don't be the poolside admirer anymore. Be afraid, but attempt it anyway. If you're stuck in 'status quo', you'll never know, what it feels like to grow. Twenty seconds.....what are you waiting for?