Treading versus swimming

Consider the amount of energy it takes for a person to tread water. The swimmer remains vertical, keeping her head above water by moving her arms and legs.

When one treads water, there is little directional movement. For the most part, the swimmer stays in the same place.

But, if the swimmer — using the same amount of energy it takes to tread — if that swimmer adjusts her motion ever so slightly, to create a bit of propulsion, she can begin to move in a particular direction.

* * *

Sometimes we’re stuck in a project, or in a career. Sometimes we think, “I have no options. I’m treading, keeping my head above water. It’s all I can do.”

Maybe so. But if we can’t outright swim... and there’s no rescue boat in sight... (that is, we feel like we can’t just quit and do something else) then perhaps we can make small efforts to tread with direction. We can move toward something. We can chart a path.

We might not know if we’re choosing the right path, of course, but we know what will result from treading in the same place: more treading in the same place.