A Lesson From the Water Park

You know the kid who’s standing at the top of the big slide at the water park for the first time?

You know who I’m talking about.

They’re waiting in line watching intently as each person ahead of them slips over the edge of the slide and immediately out of sight. It’s almost as if they’re in a trance – mesmerized by what’s happening in front of them and totally disengaged from the conversation and laughter that’s going on around them.

As the line in front of them shrinks and they get closer, their body starts to tense up more, their hands move to their mouth and they start fidgeting. The worry starts to creep in. Then they’re close enough to look beyond the platform to see how far up they actually are. They’re trying really hard to work up the courage. Maybe they’ve got a friend or an adult with them who’s encouraging them.

“It’ll be fun,” they say.

It’s finally the kid’s turn and they sit down in the tube and grip the cross bar above their head with the fear of death flashing across their face. They’re completely frozen, yet you can see their mind is moving at 90 miles per hour.

After lots of internal dialogue, they finally release themselves from the cross bar and away they go. They come out at the bottom laughing and trying to get out of the water as quickly as possible, so they can get back in line to go again.

Why are we talking about water parks in the middle of winter?

You see, there’s a point along the process where the switch is flipped and the kid overcomes any internal dialogue. They take the leap and find out that, not only was it worth it, it was way better than they could even imagine. While it looked terrifying, the experience was actually exhilarating.

Take a moment to ask yourself:

What part of your life do you find yourself standing at the top of the water slide gripping the cross bar with fear and doubt?
What’s your internal dialogue about your slide?
Where’s the truth in that dialogue?
Where do you need to call your own bluff?
What’s at the other end of your slide?
What do you need to do to allow yourself to loosen your grip on the crossbar?

For support in taking a spin down your slide, visit https://www.lifelivedbydesign.com/home

Content provided by Women Belong member Bri Salsman