Lessons in Growth From a Paddle Board
The board was gliding effortlessly. Balance was in check. The slight slap of the paddle stroking through the water at a steady pace brought a sense of calm. Almost there. No boat traffic - yet! It’s getting closer - and closer - and…YES! Softly the nose slides up on soft sand. Off the paddle board, I hop and do some kind of silly little jig jumping and bouncing around in circles paddle held over head. I did it! Was it a goal? Or was it growth?
You see, I had set a milestone in 2015 to paddle board from the shore across Banks Channel to the sand bar on the other side that shows up at every low tide. The problem? I didn’t own a paddle board. I did not know how to paddle board. Boats would come barreling down the channel to get to the ocean (and I mean hauling it). How would a little paddle board stand up to those boats and their wakes? I had questions and, oh let me be honest, doubts!
Have you been there? There is something you want to accomplish or something you strongly feel you are to step into and do yet you don’t have the skill or the knowledge or the money or the contacts or the ……. (you fill in the blank). I daresay we all have been there or maybe are there right now. So how do we find the way to step forward? I’m learning there are three keys:
1. Start!
Captain Obvious - right? Well, we may know we need to start but the question is “are you starting?” While obvious, this can be the most difficult. My “start” was taking a paddle board “lesson” from a teenager the summer before I had the goal to get to the sand bar in Banks Channel. What is one thing you can do to start? You don’t need to make a big announcement about it. Perhaps it is just you and just one small step to try something.
2. Keep stepping!
While starting is hard sometimes, keeping going can be the most difficult part. Why? Here are a couple reasons:
- Someone close to you is saying “You’re doing what?” or “What makes you think you can do that?” or “You’re going to get hurt!” These people may believe they are protecting you - or they may be afraid they are going to lose you if you keep going.
- You Fail. Yes, you will fail. Maybe not at first. Maybe it will be the first thing. Failure can cause us to doubt and stop - or it can motivate us to try again. Remember this, failure is a part of learning. If we don’t fail, we cannot get better. Learn from it - don’t hide from it.
I did not count the number of times I started out from shore to head over to the sand bar. I would get just to the edge of the boat lane (you know, where those big scary fast boats were running), drop to my knees because I was convinced I could not keep my balance through their wakes (and to pray!) and turn myself around heading back to safety.
And, when I did go for the sand bar, do you know what I heard from those closest to me watching? Here’s a sampling: “Where are you going?” “Are you really going to the sand bar”? “Will you be able to get back?” “How about a life jacket?” Ok, that last one was a wise question, however, I did not turn around to go find my life jacket. I was going!
Persistence allows us to keep stepping. Even though it may feel sometimes like you’re stepping backwards, keep stepping!
3. Never stop!
So what now? I made it to the sand bar; danced my happy dance, drew a heart in the sand and wrote: “I DID IT!”. I hit my goal, right? Well, I hit a milestone. Getting to that sand bar was the first step or goal in the journey to learn to paddle board. There is more to explore now and more dreams to pursue. There is a series of waterways just beyond that sand bar that are beckoning. And, there are pretty good waves on the ocean side to master. How am I going to do that? Practice, a coach, failing, mentors, teachers, trying, failing, more practice and so on. Growth (continued learning and application) is the “goal” - the milestone is not.
What is your dream, your goal, your milestone? What is in your heart that you are hesitant to pursue? Start. Start with something no matter how insignificant you may think it is. Dreaming won’t get you there, action will. Be a little vulnerable. You will be ok!