In the Flow with Healing Waters

Coming up with a topic for a blog can be a challenge. Sometimes I see something that someone else has written and it resonates with me, and I am left thinking perhaps others may need to hear this as well.

I saw this on Facebook: 

“At the World Championships in Budapest, USA’s Anita Alvarez sank to the bottom of the pool. Looking across the deck, and noticing she was underwater way too long, her coach Andrea Fuentes immediately dove in after her fully clothed, pulling her to safety. Anita was unconscious and didn’t have the capacity to kick, paddle, or help herself in any way. If Andrea had not noticed, she would have drowned. But she knew Anita. She looked for her, quickly noticed she was under too long, then dove in without thinking twice”.

Have you ever felt like life is heavy and weighing you down? Sometimes you are able to keep your head above water. Sometimes you get pulled down and can resurface, and other times you may feel like you are at the bottom of the pool, hopeless with no strength left to get yourself to the surface. It may be family situations, your job, finances, sorrow and grief, or illness.  The list is long and will look different for each of us.  How we handle these situations will depend on the severity of it. You may need professional help. However, for the purpose of this blog, I want to address how we can help each other. 

 I have noticed a pattern in many people that I know I am guilty of as well. The pattern I am talking about is this. People are willing to offer help to others but when someone offers them help they often say no I’m fine I can do it myself. You see, it feels good to help others. It is rewarding and makes us feel good to be able to make a difference for someone else. On the other hand, accepting help may or may not feel good. We might feel embarrassed, we don’t want to be a bother to someone else, we don’t want to be vulnerable, we don’t want to be judged, or maybe it is just our pride getting in the way. 

The fact is life offers opportunities to be a Giver and life also gives opportunities to Receive.  Let’s just say a little give and take. Remember a time when you were able to help someone in a time of need and the positive feeling you had about it. When we are not able, or choose not to be the Receiver, we cheat someone else of the opportunity to be a Giver. 

There are times when people know us so well, and they are at the edge of the water to reach out that helping hand. Know who your people are. Who can you depend on to give you good advice? Who do you know that will just listen if that is what is needed? Who in your life can you trust? Nurture these relationships because they have so much value. 

On the other hand, who in your life can you be a blessing to? How can you be the Giver? It could be something small or you may know someone on the way to the bottom of the pool. We each have our own unique gifts and using those gifts are valuable. Maybe you can not do anything to change someone’s situation, but you could invite them to coffee and be a good listener. You may be the person who can offer resources to help them. Sometimes just knowing someone cares can offer hope. 

This is how the Facebook article ended:

When you are under too long, who are the people that will look for you, notice and dive in to pull you to the surface when you lose your strength to swim? Who are the people who would do that for you? And can someone count on you to be that person that would go looking and notice when they are underwater too long, diving in to support them when they are all out of fight and fuel to swim in these turbulent waters we call life?

Remember when we are in a struggle that we are unable to figure out ourselves, asking for help and receiving help is not a sign of weakness. It can take a lot of courage to reach out to others that can offer hope. Many of you reading this have found this to be true when you came to Healing Waters. Perhaps your way of being a Giver is to offer a suggestion to someone that you know is struggling to visit Healing Waters for a free 30 minute Discovery Session. 

Being a Giver and Receiver in the Flow.

Donna