I hope that everyone has a wonderful 4th planned with festivities and delicious meals and memorable times spent with friends, family and loved ones.

Last week, I was thinking about all of the activities that have occurred over the last few months and was reminded of my youth. I know that I have written before about growing up in Hawaii, which is truly an amazing place to have grown up. I was thinking about a beach in Hawaii…which is named Hapuna. It’s a pristine white sand beach, with beautiful tropical blue water that is crystal clear in terms of visibility.

There are not a lot of rocks and coral around the beach so it’s just a gorgeous sandy bottom that has the most amazing volumetric light displays where the effects of the sun on the ripples of the water create a rhythmic dance which can be seen when swimming underwater…it’s truly mesmerizing.

While this is a beautiful beach, one of the signs you’ll see before swimming is that there is a rather significant rip current just off the shore. Due to the current, it’s recommended to stay close to shore, or risk being caught in the current…which can pull you out deeper to sea. What can happen is that you’ll be swimming offshore a little bit in the waves, within a depth which you can no longer stand…and after a few sets of waves you’ll realize that you’re much further offshore than you had planned or realized…due to the current pulling you out.

As a child, I remember being taught about the current. I remember being taught that it’s something that I cannot control, and it’s also something that fluctuates throughout the days…in that some days it’s much stronger than others. I also remember being instructed what to do…should I be caught in the current. The natural response is to swim towards shore…which goes directly against the current.

Unfortunately, if you swim directly against the current, you will quickly become tired and fatigue will set in and in some cases, you can drown. What I was taught was that when you get caught in the current, you should swim at an angle…in a direction that gets you closer to where you want to be…and in some cases, it’s a bit out of the way…but in the long run, you’ll have the necessary strength and energy to get there…instead of fighting something you cannot control.

As I thought about our experiences over the last few months, I was thinking about the various activities and events which have been beyond our control…whether it’s due to time requirements, funding limits, resource challenges, and all of the other variables which constrain us. I couldn’t help but feel like we have been caught in a rip current. I also have been extremely impressed with how the team has been able to proverbially swim across the current…ensuring we made it to our destination…and did not succumb to the fatigue.

As I have written before about rest and recovery…please make sure that you’re conserving and replenishing your energy…as there is surely more work to be done.

If you ever feel that you’re swimming against a current or obstacle which is something we cannot control, please reach out…as there are always other ways to reach our destination…and we have a lot of talented people to learn from and lean on.

I would also offer, that while the path to overcoming those obstacles may not be as direct as we hope…it doesn’t mean that we’re not making a lot of progress towards getting there.