Shark' Hanlon: The Fish That Taught Me to 'Swim' Through Life

The four-foot-long bull shark didn't seem too impressed by my presence, despite my loud gasps and fervent attempts to paddle backward, in no particular direction, out of its path.

It was one of my first experiences snorkeling in the open ocean, and my marine life knowledge was still limited to what I'd gleamed from "Finding Nemo." Realizing that acting like a flailing marionette wasn't going to cut it, I froze in mid-water, my heart pounding so loudly I thought the shark would hear it.

To my surprise, the shark didn't charge, attack, or even flick its tail. Rather, it briefly paused at the sight of me, its beady eyes sizing me up, before nonchalantly gliding past.

In that moment, I learned a valuable lesson about fear: sometimes, the most dangerous thing you can do is nothing at all. The shark wasn't afraid of me, not because I was invisible, but because I was insignificant. I was just another fish in the sea, and it had no reason to be threatened.

Over the years, I've faced many other 'sharks' in my life: challenges, setbacks, and disappointments that seemed far more intimidating than the real one I met that day in the ocean. But I've always carried with me the memory of that shark, and the lesson it taught me.

Life is full of potential threats, both real and perceived. But just like that shark, most of these threats are more interested in swimming by than attacking. The key is not to let our fear paralyze us. When we face our challenges head-on, with courage and determination, we often find that they're not as formidable as we imagined.

So, if you find yourself面对 with a 'shark' in your life, don't panic. Remember the shark; don't just freeze. Swim towards your challenges with confidence, and discover that you're stronger than you think.

Just don't expect to make friends with every shark you meet along the way.