That was fun!
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Stretching the Edges—Together Comfort and growth rarely live in the same neighborhood. Yet we keep looking for shortcuts between them—ways to expand without feeling that edge of discomfort that signals real change. Once I started noticing resistance in myself, I saw it everywhere: The colleague who says, “I could never speak in public.” The friend who insists they’re “not creative.” The neighbor who feels they’re “too old to learn something new.” And in the pool, when swimmers—beginners and…
LESSONS FROM THE WATER READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES WEBSITE SCHEDULE SUBSTACK I almost missed it. I’m preparing for a swim adventure in a few months and aiming to be more consistent with my swimming than I’ve ever been. With that newfound consistency, my body spoke up; I noticed a small niggle in my shoulder as I was pushing tempo. Part of me wanted to skip a day (or three, maybe a week), rest the shoulder, wait it out. That’s what I’ve always done. But I want this time to be different—I need to…
One Thing at a Time Yesterday I got out of the pool and lingered in my bubble. If I resist the urge to pick up my phone and see what I missed, I can hold on to the bliss for just a few minutes longer. Then the wave comes… the meeting I’m supposed to be in, the emails I missed, the messages unanswered. The shift from clarity to chaos is swift and merciless. In the water, I know what to focus on. While it can be overwhelming, it’s a practice I’ve honed for 3 years now: choose one thing—just…
The means matters. There are many lenses through which to view the world, why swimming? Have you ever had a moment where you lost track of time? Whether your ideas flowed effortlessly in your writing, your perfectly coordinated movements allowed you to bound down the trail, you got lost in the notes and rhythms playing an instrument, or had a rich and thought provoking conversation with a dear friend? That feeling—where mind and body are seamlessly synchronized—is called flow. Flow is more…
The Invitation of Courage I recently learned about how some cultures value the job of a wailer — the one who cries out at funerals, giving everyone else permission to feel their grief. It’s an ancient, vital role: one person’s honest expression helps others grieve out loud and process their emotions. It’s curious to me how, as humans, we tend to move in lock step with the people around us. When people join my Intro to Efficient Swimming class, they’ve often tried adult learn-to-swim programs…
Ready or Not, Ready Enough I didn’t feel ready. Not for the spring water temps. Not for the distance. Not for everything this swim would ask of me. But I went anyway. Because sometimes, waiting to feel “ready” is just another way of hiding. And I could feel myself trying to hide! The weather looked rough. It was Mother’s Day weekend. Despite months of planning, coordinating schedules, and arranging travel to get my crew here, when push came to shove, all I wanted to do was stay home and enjoy…
