Life is hard.

No doubt about that.

In fact, it can be downright discouraging at times.

We have grown so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it that even our patience runs low sometimes.  Without warning, we are so frustrated that we just throw in the towel and quit.  No one runs towards anything that’s difficult — most of us run from it.

We all need words of encouragement…inspirational thoughts…a group of supporters…to just get to the next day.

In certain circumstances,

In a few months, our family will be taking a vacation to a very warm, tropical place.  Since our three sons are adults and we were unsure of when the next time we would be able to take a trip like this, my husband and I decided that now was the time to do it.  It had been 5 years since our last vacation and we wanted to do something new.

Something a little different.

Even a bit more challenging…

So we decided on…

In case you were wondering, that is a picture of a scuba diver.  Now, none of us have ever done anything even remotely as exciting as this before, but we wanted to have a different kind of experience while on vacation.

So, over the last few months, every member of our family has become scuba certified as an open water diver.  In order to do this, one must complete 20 hours of classroom and pool time before completing 4 open water dives successfully.  There are many skills to practice, lots of terms to know, and a sense of doing something “outside our comfort zone” to get us “certified.”  We could have easily picked sitting on the beach with a drink or two.

[bctt tweet=”There is no challenge in doing the ordinary.” ]

For some of you, swimming may not be your strongest ability and I would say our family poses no threat to any of the world-record holders in any style of swimming.  We are probably very average…just like you.  One of the skills we needed to learn and practice was to purposefully fill our masks with water and then clear that water from our masks as we breathed through our regulator.

Oh, and we were underwater at the time.  

3 feet underwater.  

For three sessions, I was unable to successfully pass this skill.  Call it fear.  Call it apprehension.  Call it anxiety.

But I refused to give in to fear and everything that came with it. After all, fear is a four-letter word.

So with a little more patience and practice (even outside of class), I was able to pass this skill.  And not only complete this skill in 3 feet of water, but also in 14 feet of water.  I even can remove my mask completely, return it to my face, clear it, and still not panic.  No fear. No apprehension.  No anxiety.

How did I do that?

There was one piece of motivation that kept me pushing forward…the one that refused to let me quit. And every time I felt embarrassed or dumb for even trying this, I usually told myself something like, “I can’t do this!”

Although I don’t usually stay in that state of mind for long, I needed something to drive me forward.  Then, I remembered a small but extremely powerful word…

“YET“

My sentence then became, “I can’t do this YET!” I was not going to allow myself to be the only member of my family who wasn’t scuba certified.  Although the second option of sitting on the beach, enjoying a drink or two is very tempting, it was easy.  Anyone can do that. Don’t get me wrong…I love it when I get to soak up the sun and relax for a bit.

But I want more…I want to live on the edge a little.

Why is this small, three-letter word so powerful?

How could this word change my entire thought process about learning a skill in scuba?

You may be saying to yourself, “what about me? Are there other moments when this word can be applied to my life?”

This wonderful word gives us the same thing…HOPE.

No matter what is frustrating or hard for us, when we add “yet” to the end of a sentence, it instantly propels us past that point of giving up.  It fuels our fire and motivates us to try again — to make sure that we are successful at achieving our goal.  Whether it be an addiction we are trying to kick…a weight loss goal we keep missing…a business that isn’t quite off the ground…a scuba skill we have not quite mastered…

…the word YET gives us the strength, courage, and resiliency to keep going.  Without it, we cannot be strong.  We cannot be brave.  We cannot persevere.

Believe in hope.  Believe in the power of the unknown.  Believe in the power of YET.  It will take you farther than you could ever go without it.  Keep it with you…even in 14 feet of water. 

Michelle A. Homme 2015 ©