When I am faced with difficult situations (a new job, new place, new role), I often look for guidelines.  I wish there is a manual that teachers me what to do when I face real life challenges.  Thank God for the Good Book.

Many times, there is no clear guidelines, no SOP. And the answer I hear from others is that you either "sink or swim". I find this rather harsh and wonder if there is another way?

How about floating?

The first thing I learned in swimming class is to learn to relax, lie back and float. I was assured by the instructor that I would not sink if I do not kick and resist.

I thought I had to learn to float, when in fact I will naturally float if I learn to let go and relax.

And the interesting thing is when I later learn to dive in open waters, I had to wear weights in order to dive. 

That tells me that I can naturally float.   To want to sink, I need to carry weights.    Literally carry them around my waist so they hold me down while I am under water lest I float to the surface.

According to Archimedes' Principle of buoyancy of a submerged body: virtually anyone will float on water, given a positive buoyancy.

That means we can keep afloat and not drown in a sea of challenges and pressures.  We are designed to float!

So what keeps us from floating?  Why do we feel overwhelmed and stressed-out?
There are a few things, and today we will look at one.

Perceived Fear – your mind sees the events and circumstances as a threat and imagines obstacles that may not be there. And if you feed these thoughts and believe in these imagined obstacles, and you keep thinking about them, they become more real and more insurmountable.

Think of perceived fear as something you conjure up, something you make up and believe to be true (it may not be and is perceived to be).  And if you continue to feed it and believe it, perceived fear will appear to be the truth.

You must however, realize that is much easier to float on sea water than in the pool. Why?

Because your natural buoyancy is higher in sea water (higher salt content) than fresh water. You will float easier in the real world than in the imaginary world which is based on your own beliefs, perception and negative self talk.

And if you think you have come to a dead end, remember that it is even easier to float on the dead sea.

The harder the situation, the more you are called upon to draw into your inner resources and creativity to work it out.   And you will be amazed at how much potential you have within you untapped.  The challenges and pressures calls for your creativity and resources to be expanded, the real you surface behind the veil.

So as you face the many challenges and pressures around and within you, take a moment and detach yourself from the situation.  Lie back, relax, let go and float. Enjoy the effortless sensation of floating upon your pressures and when you gain some perspective then handle these pressures one by one – you can stay afloat upon your sea of pressures.

Don't let your mind play tricks on you. Man made assumptions are like the swimming pool, it is not natural and not the real thing. When you feel the pressure, take action, face the fear.  Go out to the sea, dip in your toes, feel the water and then relax, lie back, let go and float.

About the Author: Louisa Chan is an Certified and Empowerment Coach who will help you live a holistically productive and successful life without the stress. She is also the author of "Stress-Free Living In 30 Days". Louisa's program is practical, doable, straightforward and powerful. It has helped many to regain calmness and a quiet power naturally as they continue to pursue their dreams and missions.

Her program is full of easy to understand and remember analogies that draw powerful lessons from our daily lives. You will enjoy the straightforward and content filled program with tips and secrets uncovered. For a limited time only, when you invest in the homestudy program, you will also have access to Louisa's group coaching facility to help you implement the tips shared in the program.

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