monthly mess: don't cook the golden goose, reflection of capacity not capability

July: full of sickness, business epiphanies, and energetic differences

At six years old, I got lost in a literal sea of people at Bondi Beach, in what’s known as “a rip”. Despite becoming a lifesaver later in life, as a child - I was a weak swimmer with a deep fear of the powerful waves that dunked my head underwater, burned my eyes, and filled my nose with fiery salt. Honestly, this moment scarred me good.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, lifeguards recommend that if a swimmer notices they’ve been caught in a rip - they should float on their back, raise an arm in the air for help, and wait calmly. Not the advice that any six year old wants to hear. Instead, I fought against the current, kicking and screaming. My adrenaline didn’t last long and within minutes I felt exhausted from trying to escape…

ADHDid You Know¹ that there are over 11,000 beaches in Australia with around 17,000 rip currents that pull people out to sea. Apparently, it’s impossible to fight against a rip and that it can pull you away from the beach at the speed of one to two metres per second! Uhhhh, COOL facts! I love tangent-taking-side-quests.

I’ve lived to tell this tale thanks to a leathery skinned old man who fished me out of the water and back to my mum’s sandy beach towel. I still don’t trust the ocean though.

Learning To Allow Rest

My point? July has been like a rip, pulling me out into the water and I’m still learning to allow myself to float and raise that damn hand to ask for help.