Getting Soaked

The kids were going stir crazy in the house all
day.  The rain had kept us in and they were
getting louder and louder;when the competition to
see who could jump from the second bunk bed onto
the mattress below started, I knew it was time to
get out!

So we packed into the car and headed out in the
rain.

Near where we live there are fish ponds belonging
to the local kibbutz. It’s a perfect feeding
ground for birds migrating; it turns out that
about 500 million birds migrate through from Asia
to Africa and back again.

We are truly blessed to witness this each year.

So we headed down to the fish ponds in the hope of
seeing some storks or herons, in truth, just to
distract the kids from wanting to beat each other
up and maybe let them loose on the beach nearby,
to air that pent up energy.

Such are the concerns in a house with 4 boys!

We did see some beautiful birds, though not as
many as usual as the rain and wind seemed to keep
them hidden. And then we got to the beach.

There is not much that wakens my senses more than
a stormy sea with waves crashing on the shore. It
was an amazing site.

There was a pause in the rain and we rain out
towards the waves.

The boys started to fly on that beach! I found
myself with arms spread out running into the wind
with the spray of the waves and the light drizzle.

The cold, wet, salty air filled my lungs and I
felt a surge of what I could only describe as joy.

Then the kids got busy; finding shells, drawing in
the sand, poking washed up jelly fish and dodging
the incoming waves. We had to shout to make
ourselves heard with the wind and the crashing
waves.

We didn’t notice how far we had roamed
across the stretch of beach and away from the car.

And then the heavens opened and the rain appeared
in a torrential downpour.

At first we started to run in the direction of the
car realizing how very far way it was. We put up
hoods and closed coats.

“I’m getting wet, soaked” Kai cried. I grabbed
his hand and started running.

And then I realized we could do nothing really.
The car was too far, the rain too heavy and our clothes
not even slightly waterproof.

I lifted up my face to the sky and started
laughing; total surrender. We are powerless in
the forces of nature and what freedom that offers
us.

To trust and surrender and just be in the moment
was my special gift that day.

It occurs to me that this is a broader truth that
relates to my life and my business, and yours too!

We spend so much time and effort fighting what is;
and this manifests in so many ways.

Often we decide not to go out, rather than to risk
getting caught in the rain. This assumes that
being safe is better than taking risk and that
only something bad can come out of it.

How interesting our business would be if we took
more risk and assumed that only good can come out
of this approach (either through the actual gain,
or the exposure and experience).

Often we are over-cautious in the way we dress and
where we go so as not to get wet. So we
experience discomfort in the present moment, in
order to be prepared for what may or may not
happen.

How wonderful it would be to make our business
decisions from a place of comfort right now, to be
truly tuned into the truth in the moment, because
that truth is always there.

Often when we do get caught in the rain, we run
for cover as fast as we can, and then spend
enormous time and effort recalling how terrible it
was.  We relive the perceived difficult
experiences in our lives and businesses for much
longer than the actual event lasted. We do this
by telling the negative, disempowering stories.

How amazing it would be to tell our stories, life
and business, in a way that celebrates and
rejoices the growth and learning.

How refreshing it is to go out in the rain.

To feel the downpour, the cold drops trickling down
your back from your collar and your trousers
getting soaked through and sticking to your legs.

How beautiful it is to get completely soaked and
enjoy every precious moment.