As I watch the swimming competition at the London Olympics, I am amazed at how bravely the competitors plunge into the water once the bell rings. With determination and intention they move through the water to the end of the pool. Watching them effortlessly move through the water (or so it seems from my viewer’s point of view) got me thinking … do I move through my relationships like Michel Phelps or just paddle like a dog to the end of the pool? ? If I now wear the dog paddler badge, can I become the equivalent of Michael Phelps and win a relationship gold medal?
Now the dog paddle will take you from one end of the pool to the other. It might take a while, you might be exhausted from the process, but sadly, there are no shiny badges to show your friends or great sponsorship deals. Sorry, there is no Wheaties box cover for you. As dissatisfied as you are, you will get some splashing around in your current relationship. You may feel a little less lonely, you will have someone to spend the national holidays with, and you may even have a certain level of happiness. Does your relationship qualify for the medal table … probably not?
Michael Phelps, on the other hand, glides through the water with hardly any splash. He handles the currents and turns toward the wall like a knife through butter. When he makes that finishing touch on the wall at the end of the race, he’s tired but excited. In some cases, you even have a nice new piece of trim around your neck. If you applied those same swimming techniques through your own relationship, could you end up on the medal table? Well, I think you can. You just need to find out what it does differently and do what it does.
If you look at it, what is the big difference between the dog paddle and an Olympic-caliber punch? They both take you to the end of the pool. The difference is TPCD (training, practice, training and desire). The same goes for your love relationships. You can splash around, step on water and not really move towards a loving and fulfilling relationship or you can make different choices and turn your relationship into a gold medal-winning performance. You just have to learn a new style, be willing to practice until you’re good at it, and get a great coach who can keep you pointing in the right direction. But, most importantly, you MUST have the desire to create a lasting and loving relationship.
So what do you think, are you ready to put on that Speedo and get down to business making your relationship worthy of a gold medal and the Wheaties box cover?
