The Self-Care Mindset

CHAPTER 14ACT with CARE

“Strength doesn't come from ignoring our emotions. Strength comes from using our heart to be in alignment with what we care about.”

Growing up in Denmark, my dad and I used to race sailboats. Throughout the summer, we'd plot our tactics and discuss the course only to discover once we headed out onto the ocean that the only thing that was ever predictable was nothing ever being predictable. The weather would change on a dime and affect how we were navigating. The waves and the current would push us sideways, against us, and sometimes with us while we would constantly watch for other boats and what they were doing to ensure we didn't collide. All of this forced us to make fast decisions based on what was happening, not what we had strategized.

Of course, our strategy helped us prepare. However, it was the continued observing and listening to the wind and waves, watching for the constantly changing conditions, and being aware of the other boats that determined how we would adapt our strategy. Our success was determined by our agility, how quickly we could respond, and how willing we were to try something for which we had not planned.

While I watched the other boats and tried to figure out what they might do, my dad was watching the wind and navigating the boat according to our direction. The rest of our three or sometimes four‐person team constantly adjusted the sails to optimize the chosen route. Sometimes we got the sails just right after tacking (the ...