From the desk of Teresa Jordan, Executive Director – On my coffee table there sits a book called, “Paddle Your Own Canoe” and, while you might guess that this is a comprehensive self-help manual, it is, in fact, a book about how to paddle solo in a canoe. My son is just finishing building a canoe and wanted the book so that he could take solo voyages. The book is very informative – how to position the body, paddle and gear to maintain the perfect balance. Of course the greatest challenge in paddling by oneself is not going around and around in circles.
Let’s break this down … you need to position yourself at the centre of the canoe and keep a balance between paddling on both sides, or you can shift your weight almost completely to one side of the canoe and paddle in a special kind of motion to maintain forward momentum.
Let’s leave aside the fact that I have summed up a 200 page book in one sentence, and get back to the basics of self-help. We simply cannot paddle our own canoe without careful concentration on balance and momentum. The days are busy, the journey is long, we have to have our paddle in one side of work and career, but on the other side lies joy, family, home, hobbies, friends and play. Either we lean into joy and change our paddle position at work or we keep a balance. It is absolutely crucial or, perhaps without even noticing, we will be circling the lake over and over and wondering why we are no closer to the shore.
The bottom line for me… take a buddy. Grab someone you can lean on, as two paddlers just need to paddle and correct each other’s drifting one way or the other. The shore is closer than you think.
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