I had a particularly stressful day today. I have a tough deadline with an important client, and you could say I was feeling the pull we all get when we are challenged in one way or another. I reached a point where I said to myself "enough. I made a conscious decision to just "let the stress go."
I remember a family vacation in Maui back in 1982. We were on Maui, and had ventured up the road to Hana. On the way, we found a beach that had some pretty tall waves (at least six feet.) To an eleven year old, they could have ben skyscrapers! While we were getting our gumption up to try to swim in the surf, we saw a guy who couldn't have been younger than 70 years old just walk into the waves, and enjoy a leisurely swim amongst the undertow and crushing surf. Wave after wave came, and he seemed to stay in the same place. When he came out of the ocean for a break, my dad struck up a conversation with him, asking him how he managed to stay out of harms way, and in one spot among these monsters. The old man said it was simple - don't fight the wave! If it is breaking, dive into it, and if not, ride it out. The wave will always put you right back where you started.
So, we managed enough courage to give it a shot, and I'll be damned, it worked! We learned to relax and get in tune with the rhythm of the ocean, and let it take us for a ride, and bring us back. It was really cool.
So today, I rode the wave, and gave up control. As soon as I made the conscious decision to do this, I literally received an email from a prospect that (if the waves permit) will become a new client.
Dive in when you need to, but ride the wave when can, and pay attention to know the difference between the breakers, and the rollers.
Aloha!