Taking the dive

In professional springboard diving there are 5 basic elements of a dive; Starting Position, The Approach, The Take-off, The Flight and The Entry. Let’s analyze each element in relation to the promises of God. The Starting Position is where each and every one of us has basically an equal starting point. God, through man, has made promises in the Bible, the Koran and other religious books. I look at these books as guides to how we should behave. When we obey the rules, laws and accept the promises, we are following literary authoritarianism. The words in these books are powerful; but it is the spirit of these words that inspire and guide us. In the Bible God has promised the following: to supply our needs, to give us grace, to help us to not be overtaken with temptation, to give us victory over death, to allow all things to work for our good when we love Him and others, to be saved from sin and to have eternal life. Wow! What a package of promises and a great starting position.

With all of these promises under our belts we can now begin The Approach. In a diving competition the key element in The Approach is a movement of smooth motion showing good form. If the diver moves to the end of the board and stops, a balk is declared and points are taken away. A balk means to stop because of an obstacle, either perceived or real, and not perform the intended action; the dive. How many times have you begun to follow your dreams and make plans and goals only to stop before you reached the end of the springboard? If the diver does this again on the same dive, the dive is considered failed and no points are awarded. Have you tried achieving your goals and dreams again only to have stopped short of your goal? Have you failed? Remember, failure is being successful at doing something the wrong way. Start again and try a new approach! Never give up.

In The Take-Off, a diver strives for proper balance and control while initiating a safe distance from the board. Why? How many times have you taken off only to find yourself back where you started? You must launch yourself with unwavering faith into the movements you need to perform in order to accomplish your goals. Let go of the springboard. It is what helps launch you, not what holds you back.

During The Flight the diver must be smooth, graceful, move in a straight line from the springboard and not touch the springboard after the launch. There are four acceptable positions in diving; straight, pike, tuck and free (a combination of the first three) and there are stances in accomplishing your goals that parallel these positions. The straight position is the most aerodynamically sound. It is a conventional approach that creates the least wind resistance and friction; allowing the diver to see where they are going. Study the behaviors of your role models and apply their methods of accomplishing their goals. See the direction they took and follow it. Next is the pike position. It is a back-end approach that employs confidence and skill because the diver doesn’t see where they are going; they feel it. Learn to trust in your feelings; they are your indicator as to whether you are on the right path or not. The tuck position creates more wind resistance and allows the diver to hear the movement of the air more intensely. Listen to the wise counsel of those who have achieved similar goals to yours. Finally, the free position allows a combination of the first three and gives the diver a greater challenge in implementing complex maneuvers. Just as our three learning centers (audible, visual and kinesthetic) allow us to learn from each center, we retain more when we learn from all three simultaneously. Combine your movements effectively to accomplish your goals.

The final element in a dive is The Entry. Whether the dive ends head first or feet first the diver must enter the water as close to vertical as possible. Why? You must enter the accomplishment of your goal with the least amount of resistance as possible. The maximum speed occurs just before you hit the water. You must enter the water at the right angle to have the least possible resistance to your entry. The diver must enter the water in good form in order to complete a successful high scoring dive. How many of us did all we needed to do to accomplish our goals only to get burned out, frustrated or angry when we arrived there? Accept your success and feel worthy of it. Be thankful for a successful dive. God has promised you an abundant universe and a prosperous life. Follow His rules and laws and create the life of your dreams!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.