Last weekend my family celebrated my birthday in Newport, RI.  We had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in the harbor.  A table right next to the dock on a day that turned out pretty nice, despite the forecast.  As we walked toward the restaurant, we passed a sculpture.  I’ve noticed it as we walked by it before.  But this time I saw something different.

All I could think was, “Oh no!”

As you can see by the picture, it’s someone diving straight into a wave.  All you can see are their feet.

Now I love diving into waves like that.  I like body surfing too.  So, usually when I see this sculpture, I feel the freedom and sheer joy of running into the ocean and diving into a wave like that.

But for some reason, when I looked at it this time, I pictured the person diving into what they think is a wave, and it’s actually made of iron.  Or copper.  Or whatever material this sculpture is made of.  And so when they dive in, they go clunk against the metal.  It isn’t fun.  Instead, it gives them a headache and stops them short.

Maybe I just have an overactive imagination or something.  I’d say I’ve been watching too many science fiction movies, except I haven’t.  But it sounds like one, doesn’t it?

At any rate, there’s a life lesson in here.  We can’t always see what’s under the surface.  We make a decision to dive in and we do it.  And something hits us right between the eyes.  Hard on the head.  Stops us cold.

Does that mean it was the wrong decision?  Or that something happened after the fact to derail the situation?  And, does that mean we should stop?  Or persist through this difficulty?  Those are the questions we ask ourselves when something goes wrong.  Whether we could have seen it coming or not.

Seth Godin talks about the Dip.  That place in the middle when we aren’t making traction.  When it feels like we’re going backwards.  Michael Hyatt and others call it the messy middle.  That place between the excitement of the start and exhilaration of the finish.  Where we’re not sure if it will work or not.  Where the end isn’t even close to in sight.

Seth says that’s a good time to take stock.  Ask if it’s actually worth working to get to the other side of the Dip.  That it’s okay to quit in the Dip, as long as It’s for a good reason.  And not because of fear.

I know for me, I sometimes get caught up in the excitement of new.  Don’t always have a clear WHY for what I’m doing.  So when the Dip happens, I easily lose heart.  I don’t necessarily have a compelling reason to keep going.

And believe me, without that, it’s really hard to keep going.

Have you ever dove into a wave and felt a huge clunk that killed your momentum?  Or stopped you completely?  And then asked yourself those questions?  “Was this wrong in the first place?  Should I just cut my losses and try something else?  When does persistence turn into insanity for trying the same thing again?”

If so, it may help to have a strong WHY or purpose.  When you absolutely believe you’re doing what you’re meant to do, you’ll keep going through the Dip, including that painful uphill climb out.

When there’s a deeper truth to cling to, you won’t so easily be tossed by the wind and waves.  Or crash into a wave sculpture on Thames St. in Newport.

Have you questioned yourself and your actions when you crash into a brick wall?  What did you do?  Share in the comments.