On top of the usual daily challenges, there’s one in particular that I dread and simulteously relish. A quick dip in the Irish Sea. Yes, absolute madness and really no big ordeal really. At the very moment my body hits the water, I can think of nothing else. Any worries or concerns I have are gone. In this beautiful moment, I experience the joy of utter clarity for I can think of nothing else. I know I am truly alive and thankful for being so. My kiwi friends on the beautiful island of Waiheke think I’m crackers and swear I can only do it thanks to my ‘Irish wet-suit’ and they are right. A few years ago I used to think exactly the same. With changing circumstances, I knew there were going to be many things I would have to push myself to do and thought if I could get into the Irish Sea even in wintertime, then anything is possible. And so it is and most days I’ll zip down to the Forty Foot in Sandycove for a quick dip. Mind over matter, yes it is!
If you’ve challenges to meet, sometimes you’ve just got to tackle them head on and push through those seemingly impossible barriers. The real question is do you really want something enough to make that commitment to change?
A Quick Dip in the Irish Sea by Heather McKay