June was laying by the Olympic size swimming pool in
her new
swimsuit. She was really hot and decided to plunge
into the water.
No one else was in the pool. There was nothing like
having the whole
pool to herself. The refreshing water cooled her body
immediately. The invigorating water encouraged her to
proceed with
doing some laps around the pool.
Having not swam in the past several years and being a
bit out of
shape, June began to tire easily. "Ah, no pain no
gain," June
thought to herself. June continued to swim, realizing
her head was
hurting and her body was feeling like Jell-O.
Breathing became
difficult. Her vision wasn't so clear. She saw the
life guard and a
couple others around the pool. No sense in
embarrassing herself or
bothering anyone. She continued on.
She found herself in the middle of the pool. Deciding
not to make a
scene, she continued to swim. Finally she made it to
the other side
of the pool. Nausea, weakness and exhaustion made it
difficult for
June to get out of the pool. As she stood, her body
swayed back and
forth, losing her balance.
Realizing she needed help but unable to even say
anything, she leaned
against the pool side and stood there. Several minutes
later she had
enough energy to barely pull her body up out of the
pool. Sitting at
the side of the pool with her feet in the water she
felt that someone
was staring at her. It was the lifeguard. June was
barely able to
wave her hand, telling him that she was okay.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where
you're in trouble
and you don't ask for help? Does stress in your life
overwhelm you?
Are there times when you couldn't handle one more
project and you
find yourself volunteering or taking on another?
We've all been there. One suggestion is to take some
time for
yourself. Simply say "No." Ask for help. There is
nothing wrong in
asking for help. June could have drowned. We all have
the
tendency, as June did, to plow through life not
regarding your
warning signs. Perhaps you may find yourself avoiding
help because
you're afraid you'll be made a laughing stock. Please,
stop and ask
for help - before you find yourself "drowning."
Life has many ups and downs. Such stressors can lead
to situations
and/or feelings unbearable. When you find yourself
unable to "keep
your head above water," stop. Look around. And Listen.
Listen for
ideas from within that can help you. In such a
situation, if we
panic, we'll almost certainly slip further into
trouble.
You can find peace after you understand the chaos.
Always take time
to listen to your body. Be kind to yourself. You'll
find the
journey of life happier and more fulfilling.
