When my wife and I first walked down to the beach, I was disappointed the breeze was so strong.  I wanted to snorkel, but I prefer to snorkel in placid Caribbean waters. However, the aqua water intermittently splashed with ultramarine blues was outlined by a white sandy beach that promised a day of rest and relaxation.

As I lay in the tropical sun, soaking in tranquility like a bottle of liquid sunshine dripping in an IV tube right in my arteries, the tropical breeze made it difficult to keep the pages on my book from fluttering. I finally put it down, squinted my eyes against the glare of the sun and watched people playing in bay.

Suddenly darting across my field of vision was a windsurfer being pulled by a large kite about 50 feet of the ground. I watched in envy and fascination as two windsurfers spent the afternoon cavorting in the bay. I would have tried it myself, but visions of crash-landing to top of a palm tree full of coconuts danced in my head.

Here’s what we observed about using resistance to your advantage:

      • Resistance is a force of life that must be contested in order to grow stronger. Olympic athletes constantly train against resistance. To grab a dumbbell is to immediately acknowledge that resistance makes you stronger
      • Resistance can be used to your advantage if you learn how to control and manipulate it
      • Resistance does not always have to be met head-on, but cleverly manipulated to your pleasure.  The windsurfers never sailed directly into the wind- it was impossible.
      • Resistance is controlled by an opposite, but indirect tool.  They twisted the kite so they could angle against the force, yet use an opposite force (their board in the water) to guide them where they wanted to go
      • Resistance can become your friend to increase your pleasure. Most of the time I see resistance as an enemy, something to be avoided. I prefer my seas calm.  But you don’t advance nearly as far under calm conditions as you do windy. Ancient sailors would rather have strong headwinds than no wind at all.

One day I’m going to learn to windsurf. Until then, I’m trying to determine how to welcome all resistance as an opportunity to advance and perfect my craft.

If I can just learn how to avoid crash-landing on top of the palm trees with the coconuts…

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