Lately I’ve been swimming more and more to stay in shape. I have learned that as one swims there is one very important thing, a thing which your swimming form plays into very much, a thing which is as important to swimming as it is to our being–breathing.
In order to swim, one must balance the strokes of swimming with the ability to take in oxygen. This feeds the muscles what they need to continue pulling you through the water. Without a steady intake of oxygen, it is only a short time before the oxygen in the blood, and thus the muscles, is expended and depleted, and you come up gasping for breath. In order to continue swimming, one must take the time to breathe in proportion to their desired ability to swim. You can only swim as fast as you have oxygen to fuel the muscles of your body. It is much the same in life.
In life we too must pause to breathe–to take into our bodies, minds, and souls the life-giving ‘oxygen’ that we need in order to continue pulling ourselves through the waters of life. Some speak of ships and sails but sometimes, in the absence of these things, it is necessary for us to swim for our very lives. Will we remember to breathe and take in enough ‘oxygen’ to weather the storms of life? Will we have developed the good habits that bring the ‘oxygen’ we need to fully function, into our lives in a regular and comfortable fashion?
First: What is this ‘oxygen’ of which I speak?
Oxygen, simply put, is life. In this analogy the ‘oxygen’ consists of the life-giving things brought into our lives by virtue of the habits we hold. These habits bring things, whether tangible or intangible, which will enable us to continue on this journey through life. If we take enough of them into our lives, we grow stronger as we ‘swim’–filled with the ‘oxygen’ necessary to sustain us on our journey. If we lack them in certain areas of our lives, we will find ourselves struggling to stay afloat, struggling to breathe, and struggling to grow and progress as a result.
There are seven areas that we need evaluate before continuing on our way. They are (not in any particular order):
- Mental Health (Learning, Personal Development…)
- Vocational Health (Career Path, Business…)
- Financial Health
- Physical Health
- Spiritual Life
- Family Life
- Social Life
If we are sailing smoothly through some areas and not others, it is a sign that something is wrong. In the areas where we sail forward, grow, progress, and experience success, we have instilled the small habits of breathing that give us enough ‘oxygen’ to continue on our way. If we see areas where we struggle to breathe, exist, and move, then we know that the habits that supply the ‘oxygen’ for that area of our lives have grown weak or been disregarded altogether. In short, we may be running–or swimming– faster than we have the strength to do.
So what are these habits that bring ‘oxygen’ into our bodies, minds and souls?
I will give you one example from my own life, and leave you to think about your own, as the habits which supply ‘oxygen’ needed to get through life are slightly different for each individual.
In my own life, I have learned that some of the most powerful ‘oxygen’-giving habits originate from my Spiritual Life. These habits then overflow into every other area of my life. The habits which nourish the connection with my Creator help me to move forward in peace, serenity, and surety in all other areas of my life. Meditation, scripture study, prayer, journaling, yoga, service to others, and tithing are all small habits which give me the life-giving ‘oxygen’ that I seek. Empowered with this ‘oxygen’, I can swim out into the waters of life and continue on my way with confidence, even amidst the turbulent seas of life.
In fact, many of the ‘oxygen’-giving habits of my life spill from one area into another. The Physical Health area can provide ‘oxygen’ to the other areas when I am in a habit of exercising regularly. Regular exercise shows dedication, discipline, and sacrifice, while also providing greater functionality of mind, body, and spirit through renewed energy and greater capacity for activity.
May you take the time to ensure that the ‘oxygen’-giving habits of your life are instilled into your being on every level possible, so that when the storms of life hit and you need that life-saving ‘oxygen’ to stay afloat or swim to safety, you will have it.
Beautifully written