| We all understand the significance of agility to grow a | | | | out a compromise. He would dive, then return to |
| successful business. But how agile are we really and | | | | snorkel with me. Although not much of a swimmer, I |
| how can agility in our personal life help us grow in our | | | | was a great flailer. I snorkeled in the shallows, where I |
| business life?A near-drowning experience when I was | | | | could stand up when I tired from flailing or needed to |
| a child left me wary of swimming and totally unwilling | | | | adjust my mask. Yoga practice had prepared me for |
| to go deeper than snorkeling along the water's surface | | | | proper breathing and body control, and over time my |
| on a trip to Fiji.Before Tom and I went to Fiji, he had | | | | confidence grew. So did the quality of my flailing. To |
| already been scuba diving many times during the | | | | this day my nephew calls me shark bait.Back to Fiji: I |
| preceding five years. I'd heard his fun stories, but I | | | | watched a young girl with a mental disability go out |
| knew he still occasionally experienced anxiety due to a | | | | doggedly every day learning to dive, while I stayed |
| long-ago diving incident. Tom, the daredevil, with all his | | | | safely on the surface, afraid to leave my shallow |
| diving experience, having anxiety? That made it even | | | | comfort zone for the deeper unknown. I wondered |
| harder for me to decide to go for it. The only way I | | | | who had the greater disability, she or I. Hers was real, |
| would venture out on the dive boat was with the | | | | mine only imagined. Who was more agile?Every |
| promise to myself that I could choose not to go into | | | | afternoon, Tom regaled me with stories of turtles, |
| the water.Upon arrival at the reef, the first thing the | | | | lionfish, hammerhead sharks and the vibrant coral he |
| dive master talked about was sharks. "This is their | | | | saw on his dives while I continued flailing about in the |
| world. They're in control. Don't approach or move | | | | shallows. But each day I snorkeled into deeper and |
| toward them. Respect them. Respect their space." | | | | deeper water until finally, on day four of my vacation, I |
| Actually, sharks didn't scare me at all. I was too afraid | | | | built up the confidence to approach the edge of a |
| of the water to worry about sharks. First I had to get | | | | 300-foot wall. Looking into its depths I was suddenly no |
| into the water. Then I'd think about sharks.Several | | | | longer content to observe from the surface. My |
| years earlier on Maui I had tried to learn to dive. On | | | | curiosity engaged, I longed to dive deep and envelope |
| that first attempt Tom, my 14-year-old nephew Matt | | | | myself in the dark wonders below. I resolved to try |
| and I started our lessons in the pool. As soon as the | | | | diving again.My first dive was in a shallow bay. I clung |
| water closed over my face mask and I struggled with | | | | to the bottom, pulling up sand and sea grass at 15 feet |
| the weight of the tank and BCD vest that threatened | | | | down. Easy. Being close to the bottom gave me |
| to drown me, I climbed out of the pool and didn't look | | | | security and perspective, and the small success |
| back. Within the safety of the shore, I enjoyed a | | | | encouraged me to go for more.On the second dive I |
| massage instead. While they took to the ocean like | | | | dove longer and deeper to 25 feet. On my third dive, |
| fish, exploring coral reefs, shipwrecks and the limitless | | | | we boated to a sandy ledge that led to the 300-foot |
| variety of sea life, I clung to my beach chair with my | | | | wall I was ready to explore. The boat rocked on |
| self-help book.On later vacations Tom and I worked | | | | five-foot swells. |