Until very recently (like last week), I believed to my core that harm would befall me in the form of water shooting up my nose and making me choke if I dared to jump into deep water.
I feel like an unpainted toenail when I say it out loud to you now, lol. And that’s the thing: the stories we believe have a real and lasting impact on our lives, don’t they?
The story I told myself about jumping into the deep held me back from relishing moments I can’t get back.
There’s the double digit times I watched everyone around me jump into the water with welps of delight and abandon, and here I was: the single weirdo clinging to ladders, trying to suppress the fear in my eyes as I climbed down with the grace of a drunk snail.
Speaking of moving with the grace of a drunk snail…
Remember those swim lessons from a few emails ago? As we were wrapping up lesson numero tres, our instructor casually mentioned that next class, we would be jumping into the deep end of the pool. Oh my Lord.
Are you sure we’re ready Santiago? Don’t people die from such activities?!
My family of infuriatingly fish like swimmers assured me that my fear of water shooting up my nose and causing permanent harm was in fact not going to happen – and if I was that scared, I could literally just blow out as I jumped in. How did I never think of that before?
Sunday rolled around. If it was possible for elbow skin to tense up, I guarantee it would have been that morning. Every cell in my body was like the Secret Service on high alert and ready to spring into panic at the first sign of water in my nose.
The moment finally came. Last 5 minutes of class, and we all nervously floundered over to the deep end for our grand finale.
Santiago called for a volunteer to go first, and my classmates took two steps back and pointed at me. Oh crap. Ok, it’s gonna happen.
I walked to the edge of the pool and looked in. Yup, it’s still 7’6″ deep.
I shook my whole body up and down trying to summon the bravery to jump. And then I heard “You can do it!” Another instructor was watching me with the little ones and cheering me on, and that was the shot of courage that helped me just go!
I took a breath and jumped.
Time slowed to a crawl, and I felt myself splash in, sink down, and then bounce back up. My family was right, no water up my nose! I DID IT AND I DIDN’T DIE!
On the sublime walk back home, I realized: It was all an untrue story! Stories we believe to be true can empower us, or hold us back from what we truly wish for. What are the stories you’re believing right now in your life? Are they limiting you? If so – are they true?
And work? What are the stories you’re telling and hearing at work?
This isn’t working
This is working so well!
We are growing too fast
We aren’t growing fast enough
Our response time is too slow
It’s taking too long
We’re rushing things
How can you know if these stories are true? With data.
Data will help uncover whether your stories are true over time, by product, by market, or by customer. Data can help you see if your stories are true seasonally, or year over year.
Data can be a guide that helps you see and verify what’s happening with a wider (and deeper) perspective.
As you learn to challenge and understand the truth in your work stories over time or through different lenses – you’ll have the confidence to tell bigger and better stories. Stories that will help you to let go of the ladder and take a leap into the deep with a welp of delight!
