Sea Change – the Turning of the Tide

Transforming the Moment into a New Reality

by Rick Stecker

(This post first appeared on Substack as “Sea Change, the Turning of the Tide” – Subscribe here)

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts his sails.”

– William Arthur Ward

Looking back on my recent experience in the hospital cardiac unit (see my Nov 3 and Nov 8 posts) I was struck by the abrupt change in my attitude that came at the pivotal moment in the process.

The initial chain of events that led up to the diagnosis for a heart catheterization had left me immersed in a tide of pessimism. And with that I was silently resistant to any input that flooded toward me from the well-meaning medical practitioners.

Pessimism breeds discontent. With each test or scan they subjected me to my endurance ebbed away. As the hours dragged on without food or water, in case surgery was necessary, my resistance drained out the door.

I was caught between opposing tides of misery on the one hand and the still, small voice of optimism on the other that whispered, “You’ll be all right if you persevere.”

Optimism registers the truth of what you believe can happen. Faith in that voice allowed me to hit the ‘stop button’ and reset the moment. To change the atmosphere my wife and I resorted to prayer, seeking counsel from the Great Physician.

Transformation sometimes takes time, but in this case the ‘sea change’ took place within minutes. The Spirit of Peace pervaded the moment and I was faced with the reality of entering the medical procedure with a new attitude.

But the tide had turned. I could now adjust my sails to ride that current. Optimism had held force and reality bore out the final, successful conclusion.