We have just entered into the last month of the year, and as I spoke about in last week’s blog called, It is still 2023, there is time left this year to do something that could impact your life now and into 2024 and beyond. It is so easy to switch off at this time of the year and just go with the festive season flow. However, I want to encourage you to make today count by simply remembering, there is always something you can do.
It is supposed to be summer in Melbourne, Australia, but the last week here was anything but. It hasn’t stopped me from my morning regimen of exercise. Yes, I am one of those crazy people who gets up and out to training, rain, hail, or shine. Actually, come to think of it, you can cross off the hail from that list. There has been wind and light rain pretty much all week, and the temperature has been mild, so it has been bearable.
The other morning, I was training by the beach, and it was a very windy morning. The water was quite rough and certainly not looking that inviting, so I stayed on dry land. Well, dryish land, that is. As I was training, a guy stepped onto the beach, walked towards the water, got undressed, and headed out into the water for a swim. I was thinking, I am glad I am me and not him right now. He started swimming and I got on with my training and didn’t think too much more about him, until about 20-30 minutes later. I had finished my workout and was about to head home when I saw his stuff on the beach. It prompted me to look out into the water and try to see him.
I scanned the water, but there was no sign of a swimmer anywhere. I tried to convince myself that he was fine, and I started walking home. But I didn’t get very far as in my mind I was concerned. I looked to the water again, with more focus this time, and still there was no sign of him. I was playing worst case scenario situations in my mind. Is he lost, did he drown, or did something else happen to him? I couldn’t leave. There had to be something I could do. It was 7am, windy and a little rainy, so not many people around. The lifesaving club was right there but seemed closed. I walked around, knocked on doors, all to no avail. So, again, I resigned myself that there was nothing I could do, so I started walking home again.
However, that same voice spoke to me, there is always something you can do. Yeah, but what? I thought. I didn’t have my phone with me, so I couldn’t call anyone, but I looked and saw a guy in a sweeper vehicle, so I walked over to him. I explained to him the situation, and he called his supervisor, but there was no answer. Just as this was happening, a guy in bathers and a swimming cap was running down the beach towards the clothes that were laying there. Could this be him? I thought. I waited to see if he stopped at the pile of clothes on the beach, but alas, he ran straight past. Again, believing there was nothing more I could do, I started heading home, and again, I stopped myself.
I watched the guy running, he got to the end of the beach and turned back. Maybe he is the guy, I thought. I started walking towards him, onto the beach, and up to him, and asked, Is that your stuff laying there? He said it was, and a great weight lifted off my shoulders. I explained to him what I was thinking, and he was incredibly grateful that I had noticed, and cared enough to actually do something. I walked home, feeling proud of myself. What did I really do? Not much actually, but I did something.
I think what I did was more for my own peace-of-mind than anything else, because this guy was fine and in no danger at all and totally oblivious to the angst I was experiencing. It just reinforced to me, that no matter what, there is always something we can do. So, as you think about this day, this week, and the rest of this year, I want you to ask yourself, what can I do? When you feel like leaving things till 2024, stop and know, there is always something you can do. When you see someone struggling in some way, there is always something you can do. When you think about relationships you have, there is always something you can do. When you think about your job, career, or business, there is always something you can do. When you think about your wellbeing, there is always something you can do. When you think about something you are trying to finish, learn, or change, there is always something you can do. So, just do it!
In my podcast this week called Let your heart be broken, with musician and composer, Tina Davidson, we discussed the things she did and is doing to create beautiful music, overcome traumas in her life, and have a positive impact on the world. Thinking about stuff, putting things off, and just talking gets nothing changed or created. You actually need to do something and, trust me, there is always something you can do.