Breathe.Gratitude.Love.

One of my new morning walking paths includes the Riverfront Park in Columbia, South Carolina. I had not been to the Riverfront park for quite some time, so I was surprised to see the signs warning of alligators inhabiting the park. I figured the sign was just there out of over-cautiousness and continued to enjoy my walks down the beautiful walking path.

A couple of weeks after I started routinely visiting the Riverfront Park again, guess who made their aquatic appearance? It was the younger of the two alligators that frequent the river, floating gracefully, seemingly without a care in the world. A few of us gathered to look on in amazement, because seeing an alligator is not an everyday occurrence where we live.

I ended up seeing the alligator (not sure which one) two additional times within the same week. On the last occasion, after all of the excitement had worn down, I took a moment to really connect with the swimmer in the water. Simply watching the gator gently whip its tail from side to side was therapeutic. There, under the warm sun, gliding completely within its element was a visual demonstration of alignment.

It seems this gator has an intrinsic knowledge of things that many of us struggle with each day. It knows that it is an invaluable part of the earth and that what it needs to keep going will be there when needed. I watched the gator swim comfortably in the water with a slight whip of the tail without worrying that the water that it swam in would run out. I watched it swim past prey without stashing some of them for later. It didn’t seem to care who was watching, didn’t seem to be in competition with anyone else, it just seemed to rest comfortably in the knowing of itself, in the knowing that it is fully supported by its environment.

Imagine if the alligator were trying to swim with its legs instead of using the power found in its powerful natural propellant. Imagine if it tried for years to swim with its legs but continued to meet with frustration. What if, after years of trying unsuccessfully to swim with its legs, it tried switching over to a different river to see if that would help it get further, only to meet with more disappointment? What if the alligator finally proclaimed itself a failure, simply because it was misaligned with its true power?

Most of us have been swimming outside of our true power for so long that it is hard to remember who we truly are- divine beings with infinite power and potential. We are derived from an infinite source of prosperity, but the pressures of every day life cause us to doubt our ability to move forward. We tire ourselves out by using the wrong propellant, then pronounce ourselves as failures. Enough.

Now is the time to tap in to our infinite power, and all it takes is a yes. There is something dormant inside all of us that is just waiting for us to say yes. It doesn’t need a special committee or a contract, it just needs us to say yes- yes to using our true power in place of our short-sighted attempts to move ahead. The way may be a little bumpy and scary at first, but who cares! Our short legs aren’t getting us anywhere, so we may as well try something different. Why not listen to the voice inside of you that’s telling you to step out on faith and follow your passion?

Why not try the alligator swim?

And so it is.