Why Believe

Leave Room for the Impossible - Drop the Ski

Dear Why Team member,

I hope this week’s message finds you well and believing in possibilities.

Whether you are a believer in prayer or not, it is powerful. Science bears this out when we consider the reticular activating system found in the back of the brain.

We can tune our minds like a radio to receive the reception we seek.

Ever buy a new car and then see it everywhere?

So, consider what you’re buying with your attention - what are you tuned into, and are you receiving the reception that best serves you.

Consider praying for, or simply asking for, more encouragement. This particular prayer for me the past few months has been remarkable. Seek and you will find. Ask and it will be given to you.

We humans are filled with biases. Maybe my most often shared quote is from Anais Nin:

“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”

How might we become more inspired, more capable, and more encouraged?

Consider, asking for it - and then believe.

It’s interesting how we can manifest from both our belief and disbelief. If we don’t believe something is possible, we’re less likely to try it and thus we protect the belief that it’s not possible. You could say it requires a certain amount of humility to even try something you don’t believe will work. There are many examples in the material world.

I’ll never forget the first time I successfully barefoot water skied at age 18.

It took me 14 consecutive try’s - repeatedly wiping out at 40 miles an hour. This was before the ski booms we now see on the side of modern ski boats.

The way I learned was old school.

I learned by stepping off a ski.

This approach required that I learn to ski on one foot before I could ski on two.

I had to transfer all my weight to one bare foot before I could take my other foot out of the ski. I wiped out over and over and over again- and then I came to notice that my last few attempts were more about my disbelief than about my form.

I remember the thought arising in my mind those last few times I tried that ‘this is impossible’ and I noticed it was this thought that was wiping me out. I will never forget the realization; it was my disbelief that had become my primary obstacle to success.

So, on my 14th try, I literally closed my eyes to focus fully on my form, and I added, this time, the belief that it was possible for me to ski on my bare feet.

This time, I entered the process, leaning into the belief, and faith, that it was possible to ski on my bare feet. With my eyes closed, focused and believing, I put my bare foot into the water, shifted my weight to it, and then kicked off the ski with my other foot - and then it happened - while my eyes were still closed, I was successfully skiing on my bare feet. I then opened my eyes with a joy I’ll never forget - shared with my buddies in the boat whooping and hollering - as we all celebrated our encounter with the possible.

Here is the insight:

I saw it first with my eyes still closed.

I have no doubt that this experience has served me my entire life. No matter how many times I have wiped out in life, I have never stopped trying again and again - and always with the belief and faith in the possibilities.

Belief does not guarantee we won’t wipe out in life. If we didn’t wipe out, maybe we wouldn’t need belief. But what believers know, is that no matter what comes our way, we have something to lean into - and more often than not, in time, we will find ourselves remaining back above water - even if we have no skis.

My climbing guide Matt Walker once shared something with me I’ll never forget, he said, “no faith, no progress.”

Fear not, persevere, believe, pray, have faith - and if you focus more often, with eyes closed, you may just find yourself opening them to a life you did not think possible.

Believing is Seeing!

Make it a great week!

Steve Luckenbach