Hey, it’s Anne with your Coaching on the Go, with some lessons today about momentum as I paddle in the Upper Dells at SpiritRiver.

I was paddling by a beautiful rock formation.

When I got the indication and I don’t ignore these indications anymore to take a photo because my being wanted to capture it, wanted to draw it, the intricacies of this rock and the color and everything.

So I was in a slow paddle on my standup paddle board, and as I just went to stop, to turn and shift the momentum, it took quite a bit of effort, balance and calculations for how to turn the paddle board without falling.

It brought to mind momentum, and how even a small momentum in a particular direction takes effort to shift.

When you start creating a pattern, a way of being that you repeat over and over, you create a pathway, and there’s momentum with it.

When you want to shift, it’s not that easy, but once you do, once you make the commitment and start shifting, after the initial effort, it starts to also become an easy way to go.

There’s another thing I’m learning on the river this morning.

(These cute little duck families, there are two different duck families out here, they each have five little ones!) 

(So that’s not what I’m learning this morning.)

What I’m learning is that there’s this beautiful river corridor that I like to come through, and it goes through what’s called the Narrows.

The Wisconsin River runs basically from the top of Wisconsin down almost to the bottom into the Mississippi River.

It’s a fairly wide river.

All of a sudden, when it comes through the Wisconsin Dells, it necks in between these rock formations called Dells, and it gets very deep.

At one time, there was a swift rapids through here.

When loggers would come through with their logs of white pine, they would get into what’s called the Devil’s Elbow, where the river bends at 90 degrees, creating an elbow.

A lot of lumbermen died in there.

I paddle through there.

It’s not rough now, except when there’s high water.

Today the water is low.

There’s a dam down below that’s keeping the water from being rapids right now, but when the water is high after a big storm, there are eddy currents in here and standing waves, and not even the big tour boats can come through here because it’s crazy.

Today, there’s nothing.

It’s been dry up here, so I’m getting the opportunity to take a new route.

I’m getting the opportunity to go upriver through this area where I usually come downriver.

So what am I experiencing?

I’m doing something a new way, and I’m getting to see all different things, different views of the rock formations that I love, different perspectives.

It feels exciting, feels fresh.

Today the coaching is on momentum.

A lot of the things we do in life teach us, or they emphasize how things really work.

This morning paddle is doing that.

Seeing I am talking about the momentum this week, I thought how appropriate to give you some sound effects of water and birds.

Sometimes I snap pictures when I’m paddling.

I’m giving you a sensory experience this morning along with your Coaching on the Go.

Have a beautiful day.