Success stories

I Couldn’t See the Shore

By  Bess McCarty

kimklaver2“In 1952, young Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She had previously been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways.

The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. After fifteen hours, she asked to be pulled into the boats alongside her. She found out something then that surprised and shocked her…

Two months later, Florence got back in the water to try her task once more. The same thick fog set in. She could see almost nothing.

But this time was different. She swam from Catalina Island to the shore of California in a straight path for twenty six miles.

What happened?

The first time she discovered that when she was pulled out of the water, the shore was less than half a mile away.

At a news conference the next day she said, “All I could see was the fog.…I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Second try: The same thick fog set in, but Florence made it because – she said – that while she swam, she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind.

“I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Can you see your shore in your mind?

PS – Your “shore” might be just one step along the way to that bigger shore.

This story is a Facebook post by Kim Klaver (Click here.)

Bess McCarty


"As a coach, teacher, and healer, I help people solve problems. I uncover and address the missing core needs, thus eliminating the problems, such as fears and negative beliefs, so they can achieve in their careers, have satisfying relationships, and enjoy vibrant health.

There is nothing quite so sacred and beautiful as that moment of working with a person who has a personal and spiritual transformation, as a certain magic happens that is beyond us both."


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