Swim Through It

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The week after the 4th of July often feels like a deep breath. It allows you to take a pause between celebration and routine.

Many of you find yourselves craving calm after the fireworks of the 4th of July and this is the perfect moment to dive inward.

What can swimming and water and the metaphor of water teach you about resilience and letting go?

1. The Water Doesn’t Judge You—It Meets You Where You Are

Whether you’re a strong swimmer or just learning to float, the water accepts you. It doesn’t care how fast you go or how graceful you are. It only asks that you stay present and float or you will sink. You don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need to start, wherever you are. Progress isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up and trusting yourself to stay afloat.

2. You Have to Breathe in the Water

When you swim, you learn a rhythm: reach, pull, breathe. If you skip the breathing part, your body lets you know fast. In life, you often push through without pausing to breathe. You can’t keep going without oxygen. You need to pause and breath on a regular basis. Step back. Rest. Breath. Fill your lungs in the present moment before diving back into your day.

3. You Can’t Fight the Water—You Have to Flow with It

The more you resist, the harder swimming becomes. Thrashing leads to exhaustion. But when you trust the water to support you and move with it, something shifts. Your body finds balance. The same is true with emotions, change, and challenge. Resistance what is will only wear you down. Learning to flow, to accept, adapt, and move forward is where your real strength lies.

How can you use water to get into a flow and stay into a flow in your own life?

Swim Through It

This week, think of life as a pool. Some days you’ll glide. Some days you’ll tread water. And some days, you’ll feel like your sinking. However, you can swim through it all. Breathing is the key.

• Take 5 minutes each day this week to sit quietly and visualize yourself floating through whatever challenge you’re facing with relaxed breathing.
• As you breathe in, imagine your floating.
• As you breathe out, let go of resistance.
• Feel your strength rise with each breath.
• As an alternative to relaxed breathing, Try 4-7-8 rhythmic breathing. The 4-7-8 rhythmic breathing technique requires you to focus on taking a long, deep breath in, hold the deep breath and exhale slowly out. This technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. Rhythmic breathing promotes relaxation and is a core element in many meditation practices.

Let the water teach you what you already know, you can make a positive impact in your life by staying in the flow. You’re stronger, more adaptable, and more buoyant than you think.

Out There on the Edge of Everything®…

Stephen Lesavich, PhD

Copyright © 2025 by Stephen Lesavich, PhD.  All rights reserved.

Certified solution-focused life coach and experienced business coach.

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