I recently discovered my love of snorkel and my fear of scuba. I went to a Club Med resort for a week of all-inclusive beach fun. I had researched local options for scuba certification but I didn't want to give up two full weekends. It made sense to try it in some of the most beautiful waters in the world.
I went to the first classroom class, passed the first written test and got to the first set of pool skills. As soon as I put my face in the water to breathe through the regulator, it felt so foreign to me, I immediately felt anxiety. I couldn't imagine breathing like that in the deep end of the pool, much less 40 feet below the ocean surface!
I tried to relax and just breathe. The exhale was just to much of an effort and too weird and scarey. I knelt down and performed the skills: filled my mask up with water and cleared it; took my regulator out of my mouth, continued to exhale, then put it back in; and pretended to be out of air, used my buddy's extra regulator and gave the 'thumbs up' sign to go to the surface.
When we stood up I said "I think I need to quit." I had to trust my gut. Scuba just wasn't my thing. Even though it would have been cool to sky dive and get scuba certified in the same year, I was scared and didn't want to do it! So I quit and spent the rest of the week snorkelly and loving it!
I think it was a good lesson to both listen to and trust my gut. Whether it's that little voice that speaks to you as you leave for work that you forgot your lunch or that gut feeling to go for it and pitch that new idea at work, or call that special person and ask them out for a date! Listen to and trust your gut.
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