Buoyancy
One hot evening last week, I took Max to the river for a cool swim. There are often other people there doing the same thing and among the crowd of dogs that night was one in a life vest. Which made no sense to me until I realized he had three legs instead of the usual four. He was having a grand time! With just a little extra buoyancy, nothing was stopping him from joining in all the fun.
Like that dog, I figure we are all short a leg one way or another – though perhaps not physically.
We all have weaknesses that make it tricky to do the things we love – like swimming after tennis balls on a sunny day with our human and canine buddies (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Thing is, are you going to give up what you love (and need) to do because of some seeming limitation? Or are you going to find yourself a life vest and get on with it?
What obstacles do you need to remove, what tools or guidelines do you need to put in place, to make it easy to do the things you want to do?
Maybe you need a timer.
Or some sticky notes.
Or a binder.
Or a basket.
Or a song.
From the notepad on the fridge to jot down needed groceries, to our his and hers pillboxes (they make us feel old, but they work), to “the mail only goes here” shelf – our house if full of little tools and systems that keep our brains from sinking.
Goodness knows I would drown trying to run my business without my daily sheets.
And I’d never stop thrashing about without my new rituals for taking back my weekends.
Maybe you’re not so good with numbers, time-lines, focus or finishing. Or so you think. But what if all it took was a simple flotation device to keep your head above water and your eye on the ball?
What sort of life vest would make you feel safe?
What sort of kick-board would speed things along?
What sort of inner-tube would support time to just float?
What sort of water wings would help you jump into the deep end?
What sort of beach ball would make it all more fun?
It really doesn’t matter that you have three legs. It just doesn’t.
What matters is not letting it stop you.
• • • • •
No related posts.
Organized under Uncategorized.








995 days ago,
Sarah Bray said:
My life vest would be something that makes me rest — and enjoy it! Any ideas beyond an intervention? LOL
995 days ago,
Cairene said:
@Sarah
Nothing wrong with intervention! I like Laure Foley’s take on it – she calls it scaffolding: the process of supporting the intention with just the right amount of intervention.
More on your blog. :) C
972 days ago,
Lessons of Three Sorts « How THW Gets In Gear said:
[...] the new-lessons-still-in-need-of-a-flotation-device [...]
811 days ago,
A Month of Sucker Punches — Third Hand Works said:
[...] I know this stuff happens, life happens, sucker-punches happen. But still… Thinking about the floatation devices needed for these [...]
671 days ago,
Hanging out with my muse on a precipice. — Third Hand Works said:
[...] and doing. Instead of hoping it’ll all work out, I’m giving lots of thought to the flotation devices needed here to support this transition (maybe my muse can help [...]
657 days ago,
On not apologizing for beta. — Third Hand Works said:
[...] Maybe someday soon, I’ll learn to anticipate it. You know, plan for it with a supportive system. [...]
466 days ago,
Change Yourself Change the World › Maintaining a Daily Schedule with Props said:
[...] a month), and I decided that in this case, I need what Cairene calls a flotation device (see her great post on [...]