As I was boating on Lake Minnewaska this last weekend in MN with friends I was enjoying the clam waters and watching how our boat was reacting to the wakes from other boats and their reactions to ours. This got me thinking that as we go about our lives we each leave our own wakes to interact with others each and every day.

Now wakes are not just caused by how big your boat is but also how fast you’re going and how you have your boat trimmed. Now in life not all large wakes are bad, some may be the amount of how much one cares for you or you for them, in some cases you both may be heading in the same direction and together and as your wakes overlap they make one large one.

How large wakes in life affect you just as in boating will depend on how you approach them, taken at the right angle you will hardly notice them, but if not it can make for some rough water to navigate. People like wakes come and go in your life, some of their wake are so large that you can’t help but notice them, some unfortunate come and go way too soon.

You must also remember that the wakes you make will affect others just as theirs affect you. Sending someone a large wake at the right angle can be a good thing, but done the wrong way it can rock their world and leave the wrong impression. Going too fast and leaving a large wake sometimes is necessary and as long as others around you see your wake coming and can approach it the right way there is nothing wrong with that but, if you are just being reckless nothing good can come from it.

Think about this for a moment, those that have touched your life have left either large or small wakes in your path or alongside you yet you didn’t mind because of how you handled their wake. The same goes for those that have left negative impressions; it’s how you react to these that will determine how your ride feels.

As you navigate the waters in your life it’s important to pay attention to your wake and how it affects others. Remember you are not the only one on this lake of life and your actions can and will affect others.

Happy boating friends

Stew