Undertow
In life, undertows take many forms. They are situations, relationships, environments, habits, and internal narratives that consume your energy without reciprocity. They absorb your attention, your time, your emotional bandwidth, and sometimes your sense of self. Left unchecked, they hinder your evolution. -Angela M. George
While I was growing up, my mother advised me about the undertow of life. Very similar to the ocean kind, my mother would say. It is the invisible current beneath the surface that looks calm, even familiar, but quietly pulls you under. She taught me early that some forces don’t announce themselves as danger. They simply drain you, inch by inch, until you’re exhausted, disoriented, and no longer moving forward.
This wisdom has been my guiding post, and I hope it serves you as well.
In life, undertows take many forms. They are situations, relationships, environments, habits, and internal narratives that consume your energy without reciprocity. They absorb your attention, your time, your emotional bandwidth, and sometimes your sense of self. Left unchecked, they hinder your evolution.
The most dangerous undertows are the ones we normalize.
They sound like obligation dressed up as loyalty.
They look like responsibility without reciprocity.
They feel like “just getting through it” on repeat.
Over time, you stop asking whether something is healthy or aligned. You start asking how long you can endure it. At this point, the undertow has you.
Recognizing an undertow requires being painfully honest with yourself. It shows up as chronic fatigue that rest doesn’t fix. As mental loops you can’t seem to shut off. As a sense that your creativity and optimism is slowly leaking out. You may still be functioning, even achieving, yet something essential is being siphoned away.
Undertows are not always a negative force. Sometimes, they mean something is complete. A role, a pattern, or a relationship may have outlived its usefulness. Growth often creates tension with what once fit.
The key is discernment.
Ask yourself:
Is this expanding me or containing me?
Is this aligned with who I am becoming, or who I used to be?
Does this require honest effort or constant self-betrayal?
Overcoming an undertow is about direction. In the ocean, the way out of an undertow is to conserve energy and move laterally, to regain your footing before you swim forward again. Life works the same way.
Once the undertow is recognized, you need clarity, boundaries, and the courage to redirect your energy toward what restores you, rather than drains you. Evolution requires oxygen.
Your thoughts need space.
Your body needs respect.
Your time needs intention.
Your resources need stewardship.
Anything that consistently compromises your creativity is an undertow. Growth, leadership and healing from past traumas can be demanding. There is a distinct difference between resistance that builds strength and resistance that slowly drowns you. The self-care and work is learning the difference.
My mother’s wisdom was about awareness. Understanding that calm surfaces can hide powerful currents, and that survival, fulfillment, and excellence depend on knowing when to step back, reassess, and choose a different direction. We are not here to tread water indefinitely. We are here to evolve, clear-minded, energized, and aligned with the life we are meant to build. Undertows only win when we ignore them. Awareness is how you stay above water.
Inspiration
As Carolyn Myss teaches, “Energy follows intention.” That truth alone explains why undertows are so powerful. What we give our attention to, consciously or unconsciously, begins to direct our energy. Over time, our energy shapes our experience. This is how people, problems, and patterns gain influence without ever asking for permission. Not because they are stronger than us, but because our intention has been tethered to them. Undertows thrive where intention is unexamined.
When thoughts are consumed, nervous system is perpetually braced, time and emotional resources are consistently diverted away from what nourishes you, your energy is no longer moving with purpose. It’s being pulled. This is an awareness gap.
Brianna Wiest offers, “Your new life is going to cost you your old one.” Often, what keeps an undertow alive is not fear of the water, it’s attachment to what once felt familiar, even if it’s no longer aligned. Growth demands discernment. Evolution requires release. Not every current is meant to be fought. Some are meant to be exited.
When intention is reclaimed and awareness is restored, energy begins to reorganize. You stop swimming against invisible forces. You stop negotiating with what drains you. You move laterally, regain your footing, and choose where your life force actually belongs.
Invitation
It’s time to reclaim your energy, clarify your direction, and move with intention.
Connect with CG Excellence Training and learn how to recognize, navigate, and overcome the undertows in your career and life. Step into clarity, resilience, and authentic leadership, your evolution starts here.
Explore the CG Excellence Training Library; Weekly Blogs, Training Reflection Videos and Podcasts that spotlight servant leaders, like you. My resources are available 24/7, CG Excellence Training.
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Thank you for your kind attention, today!
It is my hope that this message added value to your life.
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Yours in service,
Christine
