“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.” — Alan Watts
There’s something deeply uncomfortable about not being in control.
We grip our plans. We overanalyze conversations. We replay text messages. We try to predict outcomes before they happen. We tell ourselves that if we just think hard enough, plan well enough, or hold tight enough, we can prevent disappointment.
But the harder we grab, the more exhausted we become.
Alan Watts’ metaphor is simple, yet piercingly accurate: when you swim, you don’t grab the water. If you do, you sink. The instinct to clutch at life — to force it into shape — is the very thing that pulls us under.
What Does “Grabbing the Water” Look Like?
Grabbing the water shows up in subtle ways:
- Needing constant reassurance
- Obsessively checking for updates
- Trying to control how others feel about you
- Forcing timelines that aren’t ready
- Panicking when plans shift
It feels productive in the moment. It feels responsible. But underneath it is fear — fear of uncertainty, rejection, failure, loss.
Control is often just anxiety in disguise.
And anxiety convinces us that if we loosen our grip, everything will fall apart.
The Paradox of Letting Go
Here’s the irony: water holds you up when you stop fighting it.
When you relax in water, your body naturally floats. Not because you forced it — but because you trusted it.
Life works in a similar way.
When you release the need to micromanage outcomes, something shifts internally. Your nervous system softens. Your mind clears. Your reactions become intentional rather than reactive.
Letting go doesn’t mean giving up.
It means doing your part — and then allowing space for the rest.
It means taking action without clinging to guarantees.
It means trusting that not everything needs to be solved today.
Why We Struggle to Float
Most of us weren’t taught how to trust uncertainty. We were taught to achieve, to push, to plan five steps ahead. Productivity is praised. Hustle is glorified. Control feels safe.
But gripping too tightly leads to:
- Emotional burnout
- Relationship strain
- Decision fatigue
- Chronic stress
When you’re always bracing against the current, you never experience the flow.
And flow is where clarity lives.
How to Practice Trust in Real Life
Letting go isn’t passive. It’s a practice.
Start small.
1. Release Outcome Attachment
Do the work. Send the message. Apply for the opportunity. Then let it be. Resist the urge to mentally chase it.
2. Notice When You’re Clenching
Pay attention to your body. Tight jaw? Shallow breathing? Racing thoughts? That’s your cue to soften.
3. Breathe Before Reacting
When something feels uncertain, pause. One slow breath. Remind yourself: “I don’t have to solve this right now.”
4. Shift From Control to Curiosity
Instead of asking, “How do I make this go my way?” ask, “What is this teaching me?”
Curiosity floats. Control sinks.
Faith Isn’t Blind — It’s Relaxed
Faith isn’t pretending everything will be perfect.
It’s trusting that you can handle whatever comes.
It’s knowing that even if the water gets rough, your body remembers how to float.
The next time you feel yourself spiraling — gripping for certainty, reassurance, or control — picture yourself in water.
Are you thrashing?
Or are you floating?
Relax your shoulders.
Unclench your jaw.
Trust the water.
It’s been holding you longer than you realize.
TheSpiritualExplorer 