Swimming without legs

While in Hawaii, I had the opportunity to swim as a mermaid. It sounded so magical. I had dreams about it before I arrived. I saw myself frolicking in the water with freedom and ease, a pure natural. I had grace, I had speed, I had finesse!

Then came my moment… no longer a dream, but a reality as I sat on the edge of the boat with my tail hanging off the side. ‘Are you ready?,’ I was asked, before being dropped into the sea.

I looked down at the ocean I had just finished snorkeling in with the wild spinner dolphins. I saw how deep it was, no touching bottom here. No reaching for the sides, we’re in the middle of the ocean!

Was I ready? My mind said, no! This is insane! You can’t move your legs. How will you swim?

But my spirit trusted. I didn’t come this far to chicken out. Besides, I had a real mermaid waiting in the water to catch me, so I surely wouldn’t drown if I couldn’t swim. I’d just be escorted safely back to the boat… so what did I have to lose?

Mermaids away! SPLASH! I was in. Anxiously reaching for Dana (my mermaid mentor), but with a smile on my face. Now how DO I swim with this tail I asked? Just like a dolphin, she explained.

There were moments where I was natural, and playful and laughing away. A real mermaid!! Then, there were times I struggled, taking in salt water and looking for something to hold.

What was the difference in these moments?

In the FUN ones, I let go. I trusted. I just WAS.

In the frantic moments, I was THINKING (over-thinking) and TRYING… trying to swim, trying to be, trying to relax.

It was in the letting go, and simply BE-ing that I was free! Free like a dolphin in the sea. Splashing my tail. Diving into the ocean and spinning around with a big smile on my face. FREE!

It was in the thinking and trying that I struggled. Even in the trying to relax… the trying trumped the relaxing.

Where in life can you let go, and trust the flow? 

It is in the moments we TRUST that life is truly magical.