Keep Swimming Upstream
The water rushed through Ketchikan Creek with a force I could see and hear as I stood watching hundreds, then thousands, of pink salmon moving through the water. Some seemed to hover for a moment, gathering strength, while others propelled themselves forward with everything they had. Again and again, I watched them attempt to move upstream, only to have the current push them backward.
And then they would try again.
During my recent trip to Alaska, we were fortunate enough to be there during part of the annual salmon run. Pacific salmon leave the ocean and return to freshwater rivers and streams to spawn. The ones we saw in Ketchikan were pink salmon, making their way up Ketchikan Creek.
I knew about the salmon run before visiting Alaska, but seeing it in person was completely different.
There were so many fish.
Looking into the creek, it almost seemed impossible to separate one from another. They were moving, jumping, swimming, resting, and fighting against the current. At certain points, the water was rushing so strongly that I couldn't imagine how any of them would ever make it through.
Yet they kept trying.
Ketchikan even has a salmon ladder designed to help the fish navigate around difficult sections of rushing water. Watching them make their way toward it and attempt to climb upstream was fascinating.
A salmon would gather momentum and push forward.
Almost there.
Almost there.
Then the current would catch it and send it backward.
I found myself silently cheering.
Come on. You can do it.
And apparently the salmon didn't need my encouragement because almost immediately, it would begin again. No dramatic reaction. No lying at the bottom of the creek complaining about how unfair the current was. Just another attempt. And another.
I couldn't help but think about how many times life feels exactly like that.
We finally feel as though we're making progress and suddenly something pushes us backward. We think we've figured out the next step and another obstacle appears. We work hard toward something and wonder why it seems to come so easily for someone else while we're still struggling against the current.
Sometimes we might even look around and think everyone else is getting ahead of us. But are they?
Standing along Ketchikan Creek, there were salmon everywhere, yet they weren't all in the same place. Some had already made it farther upstream. Others were still struggling through sections another fish had successfully passed. Some appeared to pause in calmer water before making their next attempt.
Each was moving at its own pace. What a wonderful reminder. We don't have to measure our progress against someone else's.
Your friend may be farther upstream in one area of her life while you are farther along in another. Someone else may make something look effortless while you need ten attempts to accomplish the same thing.
Neither journey is wrong. We're simply navigating different currents.
I also thought about how easily we interpret setbacks as signs that we should quit. Maybe this isn't meant for me. Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I'm too old. Maybe I waited too long. Maybe I should just stop trying. Yet being pushed backward doesn't necessarily mean we're headed in the wrong direction. Sometimes the current is simply strong. There is a difference.
There are certainly times when life asks us to change direction, but there are also times when it asks us to dig a little deeper and try again. Perhaps we need to adjust our approach. Maybe we need to rest for a moment. Maybe we need to find our own version of a salmon ladder, something that helps us navigate an obstacle differently.
Resilience isn't about pretending something isn't hard. It's about recognizing that hard doesn't automatically mean impossible.
I think that's especially important when we're beginning a new chapter or stretching ourselves beyond what's familiar. We want progress to move in a nice straight line. One step forward followed by another and another.
Life rarely cooperates.
Sometimes we move forward three feet and get pushed backward two. But we're still one foot farther than we were before. We forget to count that.
We also forget to acknowledge the strength we're building while we're trying. Every time we get knocked backward and choose to begin again, we're learning something about ourselves. We discover where we need to adjust, we become more adaptable, and we realize we can handle disappointment without allowing it to define us.
Perhaps that's what perseverance really looks like. Not one enormous heroic act, but hundreds of smaller decisions to continue.
As I stood watching those salmon, I couldn't help but admire their determination. They weren't waiting for the water to become easier. They were responding to the water exactly as it was.
There was something powerful about that. How often do we wait for the perfect conditions? I'll start when I have more time. I'll take the chance when I'm less afraid. I'll make the change when life settles down. I'll pursue the dream when I know it will work.
What if the water never becomes perfectly calm? Maybe we learn to swim in the current we're given.
That doesn't mean forcing ourselves forward at all costs. Even the salmon seemed to find places to pause. Rest is part of perseverance too. We can catch our breath without abandoning where we're headed.
I left Ketchikan with so many beautiful memories, but that creek filled with flashes moving against the rushing water has stayed with me. Nature has such a wonderful way of showing us lessons we already know but occasionally need to see again.
There will be currents that push us backward. Obstacles will appear that we didn't expect. We may watch someone else sail through something we've struggled with for months. We may need to pause, adjust, try a different route, or gather our strength before attempting the next climb.
But being pushed back isn't the same as being defeated.
So when something matters deeply to you and the current feels particularly strong, remember those determined salmon in Ketchikan Creek. Rest when you need to. Adjust your course when necessary. Celebrate every bit of progress, even when it feels small. Then gather your strength and keep swimming upstream. You’ve got this!
xo, Sheryl
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