All Psyched Up: Hold on!

By Linda Hancock on March 21, 2026.

When I was growing up my uncle had what we thought was a big boat with a 60 hp motor. His three children were all wonderful skiers, and I wanted to learn how to ski like them.

I tried and tried and tried without success.

My uncle instructed me to sit in a fetal position under the water with knees at my chest, the rope between my skis which caused the life jacket to push up against my mouth. Yelling “Hit it” meant that the motor was thrown into high gear. The goal was to use the pull to roll up into a standing position. But I didn’t do it that way. It was fall, get wet, fall, get wet, until l would finally give up. Spectators would say that they had never seen anyone so determined as I was.

Then, on my ninth birthday when I woke up the sun was shining. Katepwa Lake was so still it looked like a mirror. I quickly put on my bathing suit and ran two doors down to my uncle’s cabin. “Uncle Abel. Look at the lake. Can we try again?”

Into the water, fetal position, rope between the skis. I was excited. I yelled “Hit it” and rolled up into standing position. However, I was tiny and the pull from the motor tugged so hard that I thought my arms would fall off.

There I was. Scared to hold on and scared to let go. There was pain and jubilation in tandem. I had done it and there was nothing that could compare!

Over the years, my two cousins and I graduated to having three ropes behind the boat. Harley was a showoff and would start from the pier while Judy and I would have to get wet to begin. “Hit it!” We would jump the wake and cross over and under. Then, just because he was a troublemaker, Harley would wait until we got to the middle of the lake and then drop his rope. That meant we all had to do the same and there we would end up in the middle of Katepwa laughing and poking fun at him.

I have thought about this so many times because there are lessons in the story for so many circumstances in life.

Wanting to do something means that you have to set a goal, take a chance, find resources and mentors, practice repeatedly and wait for the time when you can celebrate. Even when you finally do what you think you wanted to do, there can be pain. You think “Should I hold on or let go?”

Each of us has life experiences that offer lessons and I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to share some of mine with you, my loyal readers.

What is going on in your life right now? Are you in a situation where you don’t know whether to hold on or let go? My tiny bit of advice is to hold on but get some support from experts and from those who love you. It won’t take long until you will be jumping the wake, sharing the success and maybe even laughing right in the middle of it all.

Are you ready? “Hit it!”

Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Calgary. She can be reached by email at office@drlindahancock.com

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