FREE Ebook download below: Why read Treading The Waters OF Life?
“Life has a way of testing us, pushing us to the edge of our comfort zones, and forcing us to confront who we truly are. Some people shy away from these moments, but others—like Sylvia—embrace them, wrestle with them, and emerge stronger, wiser, and more determined. This book is a testament to that journey.
Sylvia doesn’t just tell you how to navigate life’s challenges—she walks beside you, sharing her own experiences with honesty, humor, and a rawness that feels like a heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend. This isn’t a set of instructions, nor is it a lecture on self-improvement. It’s a reflection, a mirror held up to remind you of your own strength, your own resilience, and your own power to push forward no matter the obstacles.
Through her words, you’ll find stories of struggle, moments of clarity, and the undeniable truth that perseverance isn’t just about surviving—it’s about thriving. You’ll see yourself in these pages, and you’ll be reminded that growth isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
So, take a deep breath, open your heart, and let Sylvia’s journey inspire your own. This book isn’t just about her—it’s about all of us.” -Heather T.
In 1967 there was an 18-year-old man serving on a flight deck of a Navy aircraft carrier.
One day the wheel of an incoming plane hit and injured his leg and tossed him into the ocean.
By the time he got himself above water and thinking clearly,
he realized the ship had moved off and he knew it would not be returning to rescue him.
If he was to survive it was up to him.
Immediately he started treading water.
How long could you survive in the middle of the vast ocean with no rescue in sight?
What would you do?
That young man was my Dad.
I can tell you that my siblings and I learned to tread water early in life. My dad taught me that to successfully tread the waters of life we must use the resources available to us, stay focused, and plan ahead.
I asked my dad “how did you stay alive?”
He said “I landed in that ocean with only a small life jacket, But I knew I needed to stay strong and be resourceful.
He took his pants off, blew air into them and used them as a life preserver. My dad learned these techniques in his training, not knowing he would ever need to use them.
We all encounter challenges in life.
Every experience we have teaches us new survival strategies.
We just need to remember those when the next big wave is headed our way.
I asked my dad if he was scared.
He said, “I did not have time to be scared. I had to focus on staying alive. Every few minutes I had to blow air into the pants, look around for any possible hazards, and watch for waves.”
For hours and hours, he just kept repeating this process while constantly treading water.
He said when he saw a big wave coming, he would take a big breath to get ready. It was necessary to focus on slowing down his breath which helps you calm down, conserve energy, and tread water longer.
I asked my dad did you think you would survive.
He said to me “I wasn’t sure, but I had a plan.
I was waiting for the sun to rise.
I was going to start swimming west because I knew that was the closest land.”
At what seemed the darkest hour, when all he could see was the twinkling stars, when all he could hear was the whisper of the waves, when he was utterly exhausted, he heard a familiar sound.
Hope rose up in his soul.
Sometimes hope is the only plan we have left.
Even though he knew it was very unlikely the helicopter pilot would see or hear him, he put his arms up and started yelling, “I am here, I am here.” Yes, after many hours in the middle of the ocean my dad was rescued.
The pilot later said he thought he saw something and thought he needed to investigate.
I too, like each of you, have had my challenges in life.
People often ask me how I manage.
I say…. I use the resources I have available,
I stay focused, I make big plans, I never lose hope, and then
I pick up my big girl cane and step out and start treading the waters of my life.
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