4 3 2 1
By Saai Syvendra ·
Four Strokes; Three Lessons; Two Decades; One Story. This story is about the three life lessons I have learned during the twenty years of my life. Today, I will be giving a glimpse of these lessons with the help of swimming. TMOD and fellow toastmasters and guests, first things first, how many of you can swim? A show of hands, please.
To all the swimmers out there, let me provide you with an alternate viewpoint of swimming; while I give out a comprehensive introduction to the non-swimmers.
Swimming is as old as the oceans; it's a skill passed down through generations like a precious heirloom. It's a versatile activity that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy. There are four different strokes in swimming: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
Starting off with freestyle and backstroke. Both strokes have an alternating arm motion with the flutter kick. The difference is that in freestyle, you face down and rotate your arms forward, whereas, in backstroke, you face up and rotate your arms backward.
Lesson number 1. “Always move forward regardless of the ups and downs.” In our lives, there are times we are happy and look up - similar to that of backstroke, and times we are sad and look down - similar to that of freestyle, but always your objective must be to move forward - just like the two strokes. Don’t let the name backstroke fool you. Even in backstroke, you do move forward. “Always move forward regardless of the ups and downs.”
Moving on to the next stroke, butterfly. The arms move simultaneously in a circular motion while the legs perform dolphin kicks. Fly is considered the most difficult and strenuous of all strokes. Although if you master the correct rhythm and technique, it becomes slightly unchallenging.
Lesson number 2. “Work smart, not hard!” No No… “Work smart and hard!” In my opinion, Yes, I would change the “not” to an “and” simply because smart work without hard work is a shot in the dark with slim chances of success. Even though you have a perfect technique and rhythm in butterfly, without having adequate power, it is hard to achieve big. This is another example that working hard is as equally important as working smart. “Work smart and hard!” Last but not least, breaststroke. The arms move simultaneously in a heart-shaped pattern, and the legs perform a whip kick. Two traits of a breaststroker are a strong pull and a strong kick. Finding the balance between the two is the secret to swimming it fast.
Lesson number 3. “Pull positivity; Kick negativity!” We, as humans, are surrounded by abundant positive and negative energy. You could pull positivity and move forward, kick negativity and move forward as well. When you get the best of both worlds, like in breaststroke, you will reach greater heights. “Pull positivity; Kick negativity!”
Ladies and Gentlemen, when you start to swim, you’ll be taught a portion of the stroke. You might begin with pulling with one hand, then the other, and later move on to the kick. Even in life, these three lessons I learned were a series of steps and not a rapid process. I am aware that I am still climbing this ladder of life and have more such lessons on the way. If I am to leave you with one statement today, it would be the following,
“Always move forward regardless of the ups and down in life. Keep working smart and hard while you pull positivity and kick negativity”
#Pathways
#Level3
#2022