Swimming upstream...Dare to Dream

Dr. Geary Whiting PhD

Around 1958-59 when I was a freshman in high school and weighing all of 135 pounds soaking wet, I did something that taught me what I needed to do to reach my goals in life. Here is the story:

In the summers, my family and relatives would head to the High Sierra Mountains. We would camp for two weeks. Oh, what a great time we had, fun, fun, and then, MORE FUN! It never seemed to end for our young ones. While river rafting we had to be very careful not to go to the wrong side of the fork in the river as we would get caught in the tree limbs of the rather large tree laying across the water and get hung up under the tree and get sucked under and have little chance of making it out alive. Therefore, we stayed to the left side, and it was full speed ahead. That summer, my Uncle Burt made the big mistake of going down the wrong fork. I was walking up the river and was greeted with, “Burt is going to drown! He is in trouble! Someone help!” So, rather than running up to the little bridge, I decided to jump in and swim upstream against the powerful current that would normally overpower me. Once I reached the tree, I climbed up it and then reached down and grabbed Uncle Burt's arm. At 135 pounds, I pulled this 245-pound man out of the water. Then, with the help of my distraught, we family were able to get my uncle on top of the tree. I was a hero!!

Days later my mother still could not get over what I had done. While we were heading home she said, “Harold, pull the car over so I can see Geary swim upstream again!” Well, I failed. There was no way I could do it; no matter how hard I tried the water swept me downstream. It was the same river, same water, and same rate of speed of the current. What was missing? Why could I not do what I did before? 


I have come to understand two very important things that have led me to success in my field of enjoyment and they are: 

  1. If the reason for why and what I am doing is important to me, I can accomplish the impossible. 

  2. If my advisory board is in agreement, then it is all systems go. They are, by name, Me, Myself, and I! 

The incredible human potential that each of us possesses often never gets used as it could. We sort of take a stab at doing something, which means that we will fail. If we fail once, it is twice as hard to do it the next try. If we fail twice, it is four times more difficult and so forth, and the current of the stream of life will conquer us. 

So, here are the two questions I ask my students:

  1. If you were to walk into a room of accomplished people, how would you think they would view you at this point in life? 

  2. If you were to walk into a room of accomplished people, how would you want them to view you? 


It is normal for many of my students to leave my Equine Massage Therapy School inspired, driven, and ready to live up to their potential. However, some lack the fortitude which allows them to leave behind what they have discovered is holding them hostage. Unfortunately, when they return home, they get swept downstream again. They are back to where they started. In some cases, I have had students become angry with me for instilling excitement in their hearts about reaching dreams. The character is interesting. It is always with us, and it controls us rather than us controlling it. 

Here is the bottom line. Your objective or goal, like that averted tragedy with my Uncle Burt, must be very real. If you believe in your objective or goal, no matter how many miles upstream you may have to swim, you will. Be prepared to meet many heading downstream along the way. They will try to sweep you with them and change your course. They may try to make you lose your belief in your dreams. They may even make you feel that you are wrong for daring to go against the norm. You must first “DARE TO DREAM,” then consult your advisory board, create the environment, and then the involvement will eventually create the new you.