Our family is enjoying our annual vacation at the lake in Arkansas with my extended family this week. We always rent a boat and spend many hours on the water.
Most of my family members are adept at skiing–my dad started water-skiing when he was four or five years old and, over fifty years later, he’s still amazing on skis. My brother is a wakeboard whiz. And pretty much everyone else in my family makes water-skiing look like a piece of cake.
Everyone, that is, but me.
I can get up on two skis alright. It’s not pretty, but I can get up and stay up, go over the wakes, and do a decent job of it. But, try as I might, I’ve never been able to slalom.
And today was no different. After watching my brother, dad, and mom all successfully slalom, I jumped out into the water for my turn–determined that I was going to get up on one ski this year.
However, it seems all the determination in the world couldn’t lift my body out of the water to stand up on that one ski. I tried and fell ten times before finally calling it quits for the day (I figured all the patient cheerleaders in the boat probably would like to do something other than start and stop the boat all afternoon!).
Was I discouraged? Yes. I really wanted this year to be the year that I successfully slalomed.
Was I defeated? No. I know I did my best and tried my hardest. I listened to the instructions from my dad and brother. I tried different things to make it work. I gritted my teeth and hung on even when it hurt.
Most of all, I made myself do something hard and kept trying even when I fell down.
Maybe I’ll never be able to get up on one ski. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day it happens. I don’t know. But one thing I do know is this: if you never jump out into the water in the first place, if you never step out of your comfort zone, if you never try hard things, you’ll always be in the same place in life.
Success never comes to people who sit and do nothing. Even if you try something and end up falling flat on your face, you’re still farther ahead than the person who never begins in the first place.
And even if you never get to where you hope to go, I promise you’ll be stronger for trying.
Florence says
This is why I read your blog. It’s so much more than about saving money. This reminds me too of the book: If You Want To Walk on Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.
Thanks for sharing, 🙂
leslie says
This is excellent. I’m a little out of my comfort zone with some big changes I’ve made lately, but at least I’m proud to be out of the boat.
I followed one of your links this week that led me to a related quote I’ve been loving. An entrepreneur who had experienced some large problems and losses said that the question to ask after one of those experiences is not what went wrong, but what was missing. Makes such a huge difference, doesn’t it?
WilliamB says
The most personally educational thing I did was fail. (Rock climbing, as it happened.) I learned that, if I didn’t push so hard against a boundary that I failed, how would I know I was pushing hard enough?
It’s not necessary that I push that hard all the time but I need to do it sometimes. If I don’t push the boundary, then I don’t know where it is or how to move it. If I don’t fail, how do I know that I’m challenging myself? Maybe the reason I wasn’t failing was that I was only doing easy things.
Jill says
Thanks for the lesson Crystal. I do have to say that my 14-yr.-old daughter has always skied on 2 skis but this summer decided to try wakeboarding and got up 1st time and loves it so much more than 2 skis. She wasn’t that great on 2, but she got right up with wakeboard. She turned her wakeboard slightly when the boat starting pulling her. That makes all the difference I think. You didn’t fail because you tried it and that took more courage than not trying! But try wakeboarding!
Erika says
Thank you for sharing this, Crystal. I really needed some inspiration as I continue on with what seems like never-ending revisions to my doctoral dissertation. Thank you for sharing exactly what I needed to read today 🙂
tara says
Hope you are enjoying your AR vacation! We have some beautiful lakes 🙂
Sharon says
Your inspirational posts always seem to come at just the right time. Thank you !
Paige says
I really really needed that comment this morning as I agonized over one big negative in my life. Luckily my life is filled with a super amount of positives! I’m about to take a huge leap of faith and what matters is that God is on my side and nothing else matters.
Have fun on vacation!
Dodi says
Good for you for trying. I tried like that one summer about 10 years ago, never to get up. I have always skied, but never very well. Slalom was what other people did, in my family. I could drop one here or there but I wasn’t consistent. Last year, I turned 40. It was my best year of skiing ever. I wanted my kids to try inner tubing and skiing so I had to show them. I started with baby steps, one day drop, then out the wake and back. Over the week I gain more and more confidence. By the end, I was jumping over the wake and felt great. I even got enough nerve to try water start and got up. Water starts are still not something I want to do. My daughter is going to try this year. That is my biggest reward. This year, I have not skied as well as last, but I’ll still getting off the boat. Great post.
Maria says
I have been water skiing for about 25 years. When I was younger, I tried to do it on one foot…nope. I tried again, nope! A couple of years later, I tried again. I just couldn’t get the hang of it. But you know what, it doesn’t matter. I still water ski. I LOVE to water ski. And when I tell some people (who don’t ski) that I still water ski, they are amazed. I’ll be 48 next month and I’m a proud, two foot water skier!!!!
Keep trying, but if you don’t get it……it is fine!!!
Amanda says
great advice. so true.
Ashley - Embracing Beauty says
That is so encouraging! I can’t tell you how that has lifted my spirits today. I’m really putting myself out there with a new endeavors for my blog and to put it lightly, it terrifies me! I’ve been on the local news recently – 9 months pregnant!, I’ve been writing articles for local magazines and frugal websites hoping to gain extra exposure, then out of the blue last week a nationally broadcast TV show wants me to go on their show. I really feel like I could fall flat on my face at any given moment and make a fool of myself but as you said, at least I’m further ahead than when I started. 🙂 Thanks, Crystal!
Brenda W. says
Thank you for the encouraging story. You always seem to have the right advice at the time I need it most. Thanks and God bless!
Kim @Going Thrifty says
Very inspirational and encouraging, Crystal. It is difficult to get out of the boat at times. We don’t like “hard”. We want to avoid it and look for the “not so hard” way. Just imagine the day you do get up on that one silly ski. It may or may not happen but what is more important is your perseverance. Skiing is fun and for a day (or week) but the ability to persevere through the “hard” goes with you for life.
Gina says
Just what I needed to hear today. Thank you so much!
Dr. Jason Cabler (@DrCabler) says
If you never try you’ll never succeed, and if you do try you may not be perfect at it. But if you keep at it and persevere, you will reach your goal.
I see this with people I counsel that are getting out of debt. They have a setback and they quit, and I have to remind them it’s not a perfect process because they are not perfect people.
But if they keep plugging away at it they can achieve freedom from debt and a better life. Those that are successful keep at it no matter what.
Erika says
Thank you so much for powerful words of encouragement, my fears are paralyzing and I needed to hear encouraging words this a.m. to be able to take a step in the right direction. Enjoy your vacation and thank you for all that you do to help others.
trish says
“if you never jump out into the water in the first place, if you never step out of your comfort zone, if you never try hard things, you’ll always be in the same place in life.”
You cannot even imagine what this statement meant for me this morning. Im so afraid to take that first step…. what it might mean for my future. I have been “stuck” here so long. Its unpleasant, but in some weird way, comfortable. I dont want to look back on a life filled with regrets, still sitting here. I cant even believe the things I had been thinking through stared at me on your blog this morning. Giving me a little push, reaffirming a possible “direction”. Fear holds me back every time. I have got to let go…..
Crystal says
You can do it, Trish! It might be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but sometimes the hardest things we do end up being the best decisions we ever make! I’m rooting for you!
Erika says
This has been very true in my life the past three years. What a positive way to view challenges and difficult times in life!
Angi @ schneiderpeeps says
Crystal, this is such a great post. I, too, love that your blog is more about a lifestyle than just getting deals. I am also loving the little inpiring quotes you’ve been adding lately.
Yesterday, I did a post on raising entrepreneurial children. One of the things my children are learning is that failing really is okay. We just reevaluate and make adjustment or try something else. I think experiencing both success and failure is a good thing.
Stephanie says
Crystal, thank you so much for posting that. God worked thru you with that one. I’ve been struggling so much lately with taking the plunge and staying home and just trusting that God will work it out. I’ve prayed for a long time about it and I keep feeling like that’s where I need to be, but the fear of the unknown has my feet firmly planted in misery. I keep having these little signs put in front of me, like your post. It’s like God keeps saying, “Hello, I’m answering your prayer, but you’re not listening” Funny how fear can override your ultimate dream….I guess that’s where faith has to come in. There are days I feel like I’m standing on the tallest bridge getting ready to bungee jump and asking God if he’s sure that everything is safe and then the answer comes…”I know, but you don’t and you just have to trust I have it under control” Thank you so much for your post and all the inspiration you provide.
Jen says
Hey Crystal – Way to go and get out of the boat!! That is awesome :).
… here is a tiny thought (take it or leave it – whatever works…). When we were learning to slalom, my dad had us start out on two skiis, then he would swing around near the shore or island, and we would ‘drop’ one of the skiis (kick our foot out, then slide it behind the other foot and find it’s way to the back foot hold of the slalom ski). This way, we were already out of the water and balanced and weren’t having to learn how to get up and balance on one leg all at once. When we finished the run, he would swing around and pick up the dropped ski.
… this obviously only works if there aren’t a ton of boats out on the lake or river :), but it is the way all 7 of us kids learned how to slalom for the first little while.
Have fun on your vacation and enjoy the lake!!
Amanda says
Crystal, you remain one of my favorite bloggers and a post like this is why. It’s not just about the deals, the freebies, the coupons. It’s about making the most out of life and having a positive, can-do attitude through it all. You are inspiring! Thank you for all you do!
Crystal says
Thanks so much for your kind encouragement!
Ashley says
Loved the post. I married into a family that grew up slaloming and are all good at it. I started trying in my 20’s and completely empathize with being drug around the lake…ouch!
My very humble (very very humble) advice is to stay crouched with arms and rope in tight (arms like holding a bat with elbows against your body) with your weight back until you are out of the water and feel in control (ahem, or close to in control!), then stand the rest of the way up and extend your arms, again with your weight back.
For me, the tendency was for the rope to pull me forward over the front of the ski and it’s no fun to “eat it” face first. If I keep my weight back and crouched with arms in tight, it seems that they can pull me a little faster when they “hit it” which also helps so I don’t have to struggle so long trying to keep my ski straight in the water.
That’s the only way I can get up! And it still takes a couple tries sometimes. Don’t know if it helps, but keep trying!
Jessica says
All I can say is, Thank You.
Mom2Seven says
One of your best posts ever, Crystal! Thanks for the inspiration:)
Jennifer says
wow. nice post. you are my Role Model!
Becka says
Hope you enjoy AR and the sunny weather comes back!! I love the lake and we have some beautiful ones!!
Amber says
Your blog has always been my favorite money saving blog and this is why: you are the most honest, real, down to earth blogger I have ever come across, and I dare say I’ve looked at at least a hundred of them. Thank you for this post. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Tia Robertson says
Thank you so much for this! I was needing some inspiration tonight, and you had just the thing! Now, if only I had a boat:)
Kimberlee says
Really good advice-don’t stay in the boat! I’m proud of you for trying. I can’t ski at all. 🙂
Nicole says
This is beautiful and wonderful and inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing!! You have totally encouraged me tonight.