Surrender To The Undertow
Inner Circle Fast Track - Success Synergy with Dr. "G"
I was swimming at the beach one day and noticed a sign that warned people of the dangerous undertow in that area. Not knowing what an undertow was, I looked it up. It is actually a current that is caused by the outflow of a wave from the shore. The danger of an undertow is that most people panic as they feel themselves being forcibly dragged away from the safety of land. They attempt to fight it by swimming to shore. This is like running on a treadmill, and it only delays the inevitable process. Finally, the individual becomes exhausted and usually drowns. On the other hand, if the swimmer is able to surrender to the undertow, they can stay afloat and be carried out a bit, but then have the energy to swim back in (or catch the next wave.)So, what does this have to do with us Fasttrackers? Well, this same process happens in other areas of our lives, and the solution is the same whether swimming or dealing with the seemingly-overwhelming force of financial or personal setbacks. When things go off the rails in our lives, the first instinct is to panic and try to fight it. We frantically claw at the safety of the familiar and resist change by any and all means. The problem, in swimming and in life, is that no one is strong enough to out-swim the ocean or smart enough to outwit the universe. If we keep fighting, all we accomplish is to become exhausted and drown our own frustration and anxiety while making the situation worse. If you look at any successful person, there is always a story of at least one major setback that you they surrender to.
Robert and Kim Kiyosaki’s “Kentucky Fried Chicken” story is a great example of this: After being a young millionaire, Robert and his new bride, Kim, had started a new business that floundered to find its footing. They had used all of their savings and were homeless, living in a borrowed to Datsun. They were down to their last $20 and instead of climbing instead of clinging to their final shred of security, they decided to get a hotel room, a bucket of chicken, and a six-pack of beer. Robert reported that nothing had ever felt so good as that hot shower and those clean sheets. And Kim said that she felt a new kind of freedom and confidence in that moment. She knew that they had faced their biggest fear and survived. It was only after they had surrendered to the reality of the situation that they were able to enjoy what they had and gain these insights. Shortly after this experience, things started to turn around for them.
This is exactly how to survive the undertow or any setback -- surrender to it. If you find yourself being pulled away from what you know, don’t fight it, and make it last longer. Hold your breath, relax, and “go with the flow.” It will last forever! The power of the current dissipates as it hits deeper water. This leaves you free to swim back to shore. When you surrender to what IS (the stuff you can’t change), you save your energy and have the objectivity and insight to take appropriate action to address the challenge. In most (if not all) cases, you will also find that the experience helped you discover something important and/or helped you move closer to your ultimate goal -- even though it didn’t seem like it at the time. So, don’t panic, but surrender and see where the current takes YOU.
This is my last article for the ACTION-Letter for the foreseeable future. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you over the past few months. I hope you found them helpful. I am taking some time to focus on some personal business matters that need my attention. I wish you all great success now and, in the future, and hope to see you at a Fast-Track event soon.