The Zen of Skiing.

I’ve been hearing from a lot of people lately how skiing is a metaphor for life. And the more I think about it, the more I think it’s true.

Here are some thoughts on the subject expressed by some of the women over at TheSkiDiva.com:

• You can’t have fun getting down the mountain if you’re down on yourself.

• Skiing requires that you give up control of the things that seem obvious (leaning into the hill=safe) and surrender yourself to falling. The joy that comes with that experience is astonishing.

• Forget about being in control: Be in balance and you will be able to control your response to the conditions around you.

• Stop once in awhile, breathe, and enjoy the view around you.

• All physical discomfort is relative: There was always a colder day, a sorer muscle, a meaner boss, a more difficult co-worker, etc.

• It’s important to be flexible, the best laid plans can be disrupted by unexpected events (what do you mean that chairlift is not running today?).

• Falling down once in a while is part of life. So what. Get up, dust yourself off, and move on.

• For every down there is an up. And vice versa.

• Control takes a certain measure of self-awareness, practice, and discipline. Don’t just launch yourself into something without knowing what you’re doing. Have the tools at hand to handle the situation, and you’ll be fine.