Bad news came today. I’ll start by saying no one in my family is sick, I have no fear of health or pending financial crisis, I have a roof over my head and food on the table. There are always individuals who have conditions surrounding them that make me count my blessings. I know all this… and I start by saying I am grateful and certainly intelligent enough to know my life is filled with little to complain about.
Regardless… I still got bad news today!
I love my job. I consider myself so lucky to work in a field that embraces a passion I have, a love for aquatics and a joy for teaching. This job has created a community where I thrive and desire to be but today…. It feels like it is spinning.
Covid19 was, sorry is, challenging enough and has required a strength that I honestly didn’t even know I had in me. So as I listen to this bad news being delivered the impact of discovering the road ahead is not going to be without more challenges, unknowns, and pivots and, and, and…. I hang my head, with eyes filled with tears and question where the strength is possibly going to come from.
The questions seem to pile up and drain so much energy that my first reaction is to just quit. I know that isn’t going to be an option for me in the end. BUT today… and maybe tomorrow and even maybe the next day…. I am going to accept that being sad, scared, confused and angry are all part of the grieving process and I need to allow myself to go through it.
But then it must end…I must come up with a way to move forward. I cannot become frozen in frustration.
Allow Venting.
Change makes you feel out of control. It can make us all question who we are now, or will be, after this change occurs. Venting your frustrations and fears can help lighten the tension and stress caused by this change. Venting, done the right way can, can help us to accept and move forward with clearer heads and strength to tackle tasks in a more positive way.
Problem Solve Together.
Aquatics has always felt like an extended family to me. I have been friends with fellow water safety enthusiasts for longer than I can remember and every single year I have added to that collection of people near and dear to me. So, my first reaction to this BAD NEWS was a fear of how my connections would change, how my place in this community would be impacted and selfishly how that will impact my life.
Once the initial panic subsides, mainly from the venting, I realized that I HAVE A MASSIVE COMMUNITY TO PROBLEM SOLVE WITH! I repeat, I have a community to go through this change with. How lucky am I? If we stay connected and grow together, we will continue to move forward and make our way through this. Just like so many of us have united during a pandemic.
Determine an Action Plan.
After the initial sting of my bad news day, I am reminded that we are not losing our passion for aquatics, we are shifting how the information will reach our audience. And though I admit it will still take me a bit more time to accept this change as positive, I am sure I will get there. I know this because I ultimately know that the passion I have for aquatics and water safety outweighs any of my personal frustrations of how much I hate the idea of change.
Creating an action plan will be important in this journey, not only to my mental health but to my ability to lead my community and industry through a blow that many of us will struggle to accept. I will need to take the time to Prepare, Carry Out and Lead.
Now I am still a ways away from step 3. I still require time to switch gears, to grieve the loss of this program I have cherished and loved for so many years, and accept that it will change regardless of how much I wish it would not.
I know I will get there. But I won’t rush this process I need to go through. But look out! I will be back at it! I will be pushing so many of you to vent, problem solve, and create action plans with me.
In the words of Oprah “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” Seems incredibly fitting today.
Thank you for sharing this, it definitely is what a lot of people need to hear. Leaving ourselves room to acknowledge and experience our emotions will be especially important as we are met with the expectation to pivot and continue forward. The aquatics community is absolutely a force to be reckoned with, glad to always have support and guidance in every direction.
Well written, Erin. I was shocked and saddened at the news today as well. Thankful that there is a community of us who are in this “boat” together!
What a beautiful response to a such a challenging and heart-breaking time! It is the work of amazing people in this field, that share their hearts in ways like this, that makes aquatics such a strong community. Thank you, Erin, for your tireless efforts and willingness to express your thoughts and emotions. I can’t wait to work with you in this “next chapter” of drowning prevention.
Thank you, Erin, for so eloquently articulating what so many of us are experiencing this week, and once again bringing leadership as we search for the way forward!
Erin. Love love love this. Thank you for reminding us of the family we belong to.