It was a stunningly beautiful and very hot day in Zion National Park. After a long hike, I walked to the edge of the river and contemplated getting in. While standing there, I watched two girls who were about the age of eight find a perfect spot in the river where the water popped over a large rock and created a great ride in the current.
They would whoosh down the river with giggles and squeals of delight, then walk against the current, navigate until they were right below the big rock, and fling themselves into the current for another ride.
It looked like way too much fun to miss out on, so I gave up the safety of the shore, and gingerly picked my way over to the rock. I then flung myself into the current, which did not disappoint.
Engulfed in its swift and powerful pull, I let out my own sounds of delight. Then, I made my way back up the current to do it again. My first thought was how are these girls with their stick thin bodies walking against such a strong current?
My lovely partner offered, “It’s harder for you because you have a lot more body mass than they do.” Whether this is scientifically true or not, I don’t know. But I’m certain that reminding a lady of her large body mass is definitely treading in dangerous waters. But I digress….
What did I learn from these well spent moments of both enjoyment and struggle in the river? That’s it’s a lot like life. You can stand on the banks and not wade in, play it safe. The choice is up to you. Should you decide to get in, get ready for a ride that is thrilling, unpredictable at points, and may well test what you’re made of.
Speaking of what we’re made of, there was another lesson from the river. If you want to take the ride without getting lost, you have to be determined to walk against the current – that is, encounter resistance. Again, the choice is up to you.
Another option would be to let the current carry you where it will. While I don’t believe that all who wander are lost, I can identify times in my life when I just gave up and let the current of life carry me while hoping for the best outcome. In those moments I rarely got it, the best outcome that is.
The best outcome happens when we challenge the uphill, resistance filled trudge up the river. An even better outcome is possible when we challenge those moments with a spirit of hope and determination, loving ourselves big time in the audacious acts we are attempting.
The river teaches us that it is in the resistance, the challenge, where we become the better version of ourselves (stronger, more confident, more determined). At this point, the river also chimes in with a grand show of what happens after that resistance is overcome, that challenge is met: we are treated to joyous moments (i.e. landing new job or leaving one that’s a bad fit, getting into a new school, starting or improving relationships, finishing a project, finding some fun that we didn’t know was out there for us).
And last, but not least, the river reminds us stressed out humans who spend so many hours indoors and staring a screen to get outside. Nature is a fantastic balm for our bodies, minds, and soul.
So, go jump in a lake, walk up a river, hike through a forest, or picnic in the park. It’s your choice, yet I’m encouraging all of us to get off of the banks of the river of life, and jump in!