Life Lessons from the Pool

For some people it's running, but for me, swimming is the only time I can zone out. The initial shock of the cold water jolts my brain alive from the dreamy state that the heavy California sun imposes. (Sure, I love how it's sunny here all the time but sometimes I just wish it would pour rain but that's for another time.) Cap on, googles wiped and on. The first 25 meters always feel great. Cool waters and the blazing sun come together and form the most perfect workout environment. The only thing I can hear is my heartbeat and the sound that my arm makes as it hits the water once I come up for a breath.

I start with the small stuff. During the school year, this consists of running through my schedule for the week: classes, homework, midterms, clubs, the next awkward situation I will probably find myself in, etc. But sooner or later, we start hitting the important things like what am I doing with life, love, my failing GPA, and what I'm going to have for dessert. As my hands glide through the water, I find myself staring at the bottom of the pool, watching the small checkered pattern on the floor slowly glide past me as I swim from one side to the other. Then, I hear my mother's coaching voice reminding me "Look up!" I never used to understand why I should strain my neck to look up. I'm going to reach it eventually, right? Why bother using more muscles than I have to? But this applies to so much more than just lap swimming. Looking at the end reminds me to keep my head and focus on my end goal. I might be in hell right now but in the end, I will be in a better place. I will achieve my goals, no matter what I have to do. How do I know this? Because like Dora said, I will always keep swimming, keep swimming.

Swimming is such a unique sport because it's individual in a way that most sports aren't. Not only do you compete by yourself, but the water seals your ears in a way that almost all sound is blocked off. Nothing gets in. No cheering, no motivational speeches from your coach. It's just you and your will. Are you strong enough to make it? To push yourself for that extra lap, to beat the person next to you, or to race the clock to beat your own best. How fast and hard can your feet kick the water, how long can your arms reach? This life is yours. Regardless of the promises that people can make to you, no one can make the journey with you. People may come and go, but in the end, it comes down to you and your will. No one can push yourself harder than you and no one knows you better than you. With a hard push of the arm, the past becomes the past and you've moved onto the next lap. How the future pans out depends on what you do now. You are in control of your life, so make it something to be proud of it.

Someone important once said "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." Well, I'm done with tears. Here's to sweat, hard work, and life lessons from the pool!