I was snorkeling yesterday off Maui. Once the initial part of the adventure was complete, the captain of our boat said we were going to pull anchor and go look for sea turtles to dive with. That’s exactly what we did.
When I got back on the boat, the first mate asked us some sea turtle trivia:
1. What is the number one predator of a sea turtle in Hawaii? Tiger sharks.
2. What kind of water do Tiger sharks most enjoy hunting turtles in? Murky.
Hmmmmm… EXACTLY the kind of water we just climbed out of. He told us that in murky (low visibility) water, turtles tend to just pop up for air and then return to the bottom immediately to be protected from the predator. Interesting. So, when threatened, they ONLY focus on the essentials. Smart turtles.
Are you that smart? When faced with a threat to your work, your family, your health, to what extent do you have an automatic mechanism that focuses you only on the essentials? Do you have the survival skills to keep yourself focused only on those things that will help you survive that period of time?
He told us the waters are not always murky…….just when the seas are rough!
When the seas are rough, personally or professionally:
1. Determine the essentials: those things that are absolutely necessary for survival on every level.
2. Until the storm passes, focus your attention on those things.
3. Take time to be still.
