Crest and Trough

When dancing with an ocean wave, it's best to speed up paddling as the the trough pushes upward and becomes the crest. The wave thrusts the boat forward. You paddle hardest and fastest when there is the least resistance. This allows you to stay in front of the wave long enough to temporarily match the speed at which it is rolling forward. This is how you "catch" the wave. Once the crest passes underneath and you're back in the trough, paddling in the ocean feels more like paddling in thick mud. The canoe goes nowhere. This is when balance is key, and longer, gentler strokes help you stay upright and ready for the next burst forward.

I think it's safe to say that most of us view a moment of low resistance as the time to rest. In a stressful schedule, taking breaks makes sense. But when we feel like life pushes forward in a sudden burst of momentum, it might be time to give it all you got.

The metaphors are endless. Every trough is a crest waiting to happen. And every crest rolls back into a temporary trough. Learning how to maneuver your energy makes the inevitable experiences complimentary.