Rip Currents
Rip currents have the power to lure people to their death. It’s not so much act of deceit, if you’ll allow me to personify this act of nature, but a false sense of our own powerlessness that gets us.
According to the National Weather Service rip currents form...
Furthermore, they say,
“Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.
Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents.
Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.”
But we are not powerless over the rip currents. We can “Break The Grip Of The Rip.” Here’s how:
Yeah, it's a big picture, but I wanted you to be able to read it.
I’ve never been caught in a rip current, mostly because I’m not a strong swimmer so when I do go out into the ocean, I stay close to the shore, near people, near the lifeguards, and I take notice of the warning flags that fly on protected beaches.
My understanding is that a calm head is in order when caught in a rip current. To break the grip of the rip, we must remain level headed and swim parallel to the shore. Admittedly, keeping calm is easier said than done but in doing so we can alter the situation to our benefit.
In any 12 step program usually associated with overcoming an addiction of some sort, the first rule for success states: “We admit that we are powerless over…” whichever issue with which we struggle.
I take exception to that. Just like in a rip current we are NOT powerless! We have the power to do whatever it is we choose. We can choose to declare we are powerless or we can choose to embrace our own personal power.
In my daily reading of New Thought philosophy, I find these words:
“We admit that we are personally empowered to improve our lives.”
With a slight tweak, one sentence can shift from powerless to empowered, from hopeless to hopeful. Semantics? Maybe so, but with the commanding nature of words, why not make them supportive, working for us instead of reiterating that which we fear.
We are personally empowered to improve our lives.
It’s only when we panic that we get tired, frustrated, and ready to give up whether in the ocean or in our lives. Should we find ourselves at a seeming loss to create more fruitful lives, perhaps a slight shift of perspective is in order. Perhaps we need to swim parallel to the shores of our lives. We do indeed know how to break free of the mental grip of despair, confusion or frustration. We are merely without the understanding, the instruction, the knowledge to harness that power, our power, the power that resides within.
Regardless of the chosen philosophy, western, eastern, conservative, or liberal, it all starts with these words:
We are personally empowered to improve our lives.
I invite you to take the above words, write them down on a slip of paper and tuck them into your pocket. And when you need a little encouragement, take them out and read them aloud. To this I add,
Accept the power and use it willingly and responsibly.
You can do anything of your choosing. You can make your dreams come true because
You are personally empowered to improve your life.
<*(((><{
Copyright 2009 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photo credit: Diana Taylor
For copy & paste:
http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/overview.shtml (National Weather Service ~ this is a great site with lots of info.)
http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/index.shtml (National Weather Service ~ Break The Grip Of The Rip.)
Posted by Diana Taylor at Sunday, August 09. 2009 
Categories: change, inspiration, perspective, lessons from the beach
Tags: empowerment fear rip currents new thought
Categories: change, inspiration, perspective, lessons from the beach
Tags: empowerment fear rip currents new thought
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