What’s holding you back?

As I sat on the pool deck at Phoenix Swim Club watching the older group swim, this thought kept coming back to me. Over and over. Jenny, What is holding you back?

There is a drill in which resistance bands are used. A belt is placed around your waist and the other end is strapped onto the starting block. The swimmer takes off only to be held back or tethered by this resistance band.
 

 

 
It’s hard work. It makes you have to focus on additional measures to get you through the water – better technique, harder pulling, harding kicking. As if swimming wasn’t hard enough already.
 

 
And then if you need more resistance, you can always hand the control over to another who can hold you back even more.
 

 
So I ask again, what is holding you back?

Shame, injustice, unforgiveness, feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, comparison, self loathing? Are any of these holding you back from being who you were born or called to be?

A spirit of unforgiveness and bitterness is equal to the picture above when you are handing the bands over to another. You are essentially giving them the reigns and saying, “Please, keep holding me back. Don’t let go. I want you to know that you have all the power.”
 
Here are pictures of another resistance machine. It works similarly but the resistance is determined by how much water is placed into the bucket. Depending on how full your bucket is, determines how hard you work to move through the water.
 

 

 

If you don’t free yourself from what you are tethered to or empty your bucket, one of three things happen:

You continue to tread water and keep your face out of the water enough to breath. This is equivalent to the hamster on his wheel running yet getting no where. You eventually will tire yourself out. No one can live at this pace indefinitely.

You finally quit and drown. You become exhausted, give up on the dream or worse, yourself.

You can empty your bucket of water, unstrap the bands from your waist, or hand the bands over to another person who is cheering you on and doesn’t want to see you drown.

When a swimmer is pulled back by their partner on deck, they fly through the water. Not only is there no resistance, but the work actually lessens as their partner is helping them back to the wall. It is actually a really fun feeling of moving at a great speed while doing little work. It feels magical.
 

 
I have been working hard this month of breaking those tethers of unforgiveness. I have spent time actually visualizing cutting those bands. And I really feel lighter. The people that I had essentially given control over certain areas of my life, were not people I wanted in my life. They don’t have my best interests. In forgiving them, I have also chosen to bless them. This wasn’t easy, but boy did I feel better afterwards.

I have always been self sufficient, which has been a blessing and a curse. I have spent time handing my bands to God on a daily basis. And one day when I was feeling pretty frazzled I asked my husband and a friend to help. They quickly reminded me of who I am. I rarely ask for help, but was amazed that within 10 minutes I was back to my positive and productive self. They pulled me back in. It again felt magical.

So I ask you today, what is holding you back?
Do you really want to keep pulling hard or kicking your hardest?
Could you choose to untether yourself from a spirit of unforgiveness?
Are you willing to hand those cords over to God or another person who has your best interests?

I’m rooting for you today!

Blessings sweet friends – Jenny

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