And I went in anyway…

This was the day that I pushed through inhibitions and shocked my children to boot.

I enjoy a swim, and on a Sunday morning at my health club you need to get there early to do a few lengths before the children arrive for “splash club”.  So I duly trotted down to the changing room at 8:30am, only to discover that I had forgotten my bathing costume. Rats!! It’s time sensitive – I haven’t got any time to go home and come back so… what to do? Pre-Covid you could always borrow a swimming costume from the lost property but that option isn’t there now so…

Well I was wearing a fairly encompassing black under garment, and having a look at it, it stretched to right up to the base of my black bra. It could easily pass for a swimming costume if you didn’t look too closely. It was perfectly decent. As was the bra – a sturdy underwired model with plenty of supportive material  – not a flimsy lacey see-through number.

I cogitated, I hesitated, could I do this, should I do this? I thought, “Yeah, I’m going to walk down to the pool with a devil may care attitude and do my lengths… even go into the sauna… wear my decision with pride”.

I felt a bit uncomfortable as I walked out of the changing room, however, I actually also felt a bit exhilarated to be stepping out in such a way. I thought I should just walk nonchalantly with my towel loosely wrapped and stride in as though I was wearing your normal every day black swimsuit and not a substitute – albeit something that was doing absolutely the same job, was perfectly decent, and comfortable.

I got to the pool area and stepped out of my towel calmly into the water. It’s a busy time on a Sunday morning pre-splash club and… no one batted an eye lid! Not when I was swimming, not when I was in the sauna, the water spa, or walking up the side. It was absolutely fine, I got my swim, there were no operational disasters and no horses were frightened! Result!

My daughters were appalled when I told them what I had done. The comments were, “Eeww, no Mum, how could you?!”, and “That is totally unacceptable!”.

As you do, as a coach, I have turned this little incident into a learning curve.

Have you ever dithered on the edge of doing something because:

• Everything wasn’t exactly right?
• You weren’t totally sure as to how you were going to look or feel?
• It was the first time of doing something and the nerves were coming on?

Well I certainly have, many a time: Launching a new course; starting to do live videos; wanting it to be exactly right with no risk involved. Well, nobody ever got anywhere without taking a few (calculated) risks. They certainly never broke new ground or moved forward at any pace. And neither will I or you.

What I say is: feel the fear, and yet still dip into the water in your spanx and bra anyway! 

Oh and it’s always a hoot to shock your children a bit.

To find out more about Fiona’s training workshops or coaching to help you improve your communication skills and push through your inhibitions, do contact her on fiona@locuscoaching.com and ask for details.

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