I was ready to throw up.

I went yesterday for a further training for scuba diving.

It’s called Advanced Open Water, it’s continuing to build on skills on the way to becoming a dive professional.

I’m working to get a certification level to be able to take people scuba diving as part of my coaching practice.

I know that I can get seasick.

Which is weird because when I was younger I spent 10+ days on a boat with no seasick issues.

But anyways.

I know I can get seasick.

I took medicine preemptively.

Nevertheless it was hitting me pretty hard yesterday.

I was quite miserable a lot of the time.

Teetering on the edge of fine and throwing up.

When you’re on a dive boat, in between dives you need to change your gear from one tank to the next.

While the boat is rolling and pitching in the waves.

I got set up before we left the dock to start, got in, felt better underwater.

And it was GORGEOUS!!!

I was able to switch my tank to do a shallow navigation dive; which didn’t help because the current was tossing us all around underwater.

I came back up and mentioned to the instructor, perhaps someone else can change my gear over for the 3rd and last dive.

Again, I was ready to throw up.

The waves, the pitch, the roll of the boat was making me unwell.

He pushed me, saying that he wanted me to be capable of doing it on my own even if not well.

So I waited, found a calmer spot when I felt a bit better, and switched my gear over.

Switching my focus to the horizon constantly to eliminate some of the nausea.

But I did it.

Here’s the thing.

We all have times when we are overwhelmed with what is right in front of us.

The better we are able to stick through, to persevere, the better every part of our life is.

Persistence in the face of adversity helps us stay strong, helps us accomplish things that may never have been possible otherwise.

I know that there are others in my position yesterday who would have refused to dive feeling as seasick as I felt.

But I’m so glad I powered through it.

Once I got in the water below the surf I felt much better – that’s a sensation I’m used to, falling slowly 90ft down to the ocean floor, to the stunning reef below.

Watching the schools of colorful fish dart frantically around.

Finding a Goliath grouper hanging out by the shipwreck.

Seeing the tail fin of bull sharks swimming away.

And on the other side of that ick feeling, is me being 60% of the way through my advanced certification.

With those dives done in a world class destination.

Stay strong.

Keep your eye on the outcomes that are important.

And do everything you can to make it happen despite the setbacks.