Drowning in Shallow Waters
Hi friend,
I’ll share a secret with you. I am still afraid of water. I’m not a strong swimmer and the idea of drowning scares the shit out of me. The idea of a strong current pulling me under freaks me out. A shark attacking me is a vision in my mind when it comes to the ocean.
But here’s something else I’ll share. I do not allow that fear to hold me back from testing those scary waters. Those deeper waters stretch me, challenge me, and build up my confidence. Those deeper waters are where my courage is exercised and the resulting memorable moments are created.
Too many of us live our lives wading in shallow waters. We are comfortable with what we know, with the false sense of being safe. But how will you ever know how strong of a swimmer you can be if you don’t test the deeper waters? If you don’t take your life, relationships, ideas, and dreams to a deeper level?
My most memorable moments and proudest accomplishments have happened while playing in deeper waters. Fear of heights? Let’s take up rock climbing as a new hobby. Fear of water? Let’s go white water rafting and try surfing. Fear of speaking in front of others? Let’s start by standing in front of small groups and working my way up to a stage of moms and daughters.
Just because I’ve played in deeper waters doesn’t mean I’m not still afraid of it. That fear is still buoyant, more so at certain times than others, but I do not let it suffocate my dreams.
I have now come to fear drowning in shallow waters more than the deep waters. How is that possible? Well, the shallow waters aren’t deep enough for your dreams to expand. It’s not expansive enough to hold the depth of the life you have imagined for yourself. The shallow waters can only act to contain you and all that’s within—keeping you safe like a life preserver—but cannot allow for the expansion of more.
The shallow waters drown your dreams.
Honestly, I still have moments of freaking out when I’m in deeper waters. I panicked when I fell off a jet ski in a lake, thinking something was going to attack me. (I laugh at this now.) I just take deeper breaths and remind myself that I’ll be okay. Even if I look silly doggie paddling my way around, I’m still swimming outside the shallow waters and that’s all that matters. I’m allowing myself to try, to live more expansively.
Where have you not taken a deep dive in your own life because you keep playing in shallow waters? It’s never too late to start. And just like me, it’s okay if you still panic at times, if the fear still bubbles up. All that matters is that you are allowing yourself to expand into the deeper waters. Life is too short to live it shallowly. Life is meant to be lived deeply and fully—expansively.
- Jen