3 Things Being a Jet Ski Tour Guide on the Hudson River has Taught Me About Life
By: Abbey Snyder
Tags: Water, Life Lessons, New York, Personal Development, Love

Abigail Snyder @aberjail Instagram

I work for a company called Sea the City based out of Jersey City, NJ where we take guests out on jet skis in the New York area including the East and Hudson River. It’s a physical yet poetic job where I’ve learned life applications.

1. Remain Steady in the Direction You’ve Chosen

There is an energy flow to this life, and it’s important to understand.

The universe is counting on you to maintain the same direction you’re in so that it can carry you through to the next best thing. The energy flow of life is on your side. It wants you to become your highest self.

The universe has your back.

When you decide to change course, it throws off the direction leaving confusion and worse, resistance.

Resistance is something we learned in physics that’s the whole reason why you stay stuck.

When I trained to become a jet ski tour guide on the country’s busiest harbor, the NY harbor, it was an audition. They needed to see if I was capable to bring other people behind me out on these tours.

Understanding Boat Traffic was number one.

The law in physics that Newton brought to the table plays out truly here. His first law states, “an object at rest stays at rest. And an object in motion stays in motion, at the same speed and direction.”

The takeaway is this: the direction in which I choose to lead the tour is a direct communication to all other boat traffic in the water at that exact moment.

If I decide to change course, it throws off the speed boats, ferry boats, planning vessels, and sailing boats. They don’t know which direction to expect me to go.

It’s my job to stay the course, otherwise it’s an invitation for an collision.

The other boaters are counting on me to maintain the same direction I’m in so that it carries a flow to the boat traffic as a whole.

Stay in the direction you’re going. Life is one big flow. Keep the flow consistent so that the universe sees what you want and what you care about.

In turn, the universe will have your back and bring to you the best things that are specific to you. It’s seeking to help you find your highest self. Stay the course.

2. When You Look Directly at the Waves, Inconsistency Follows

I tell guests all the time, “don’t look at the waves”. The reason I tell them this is because for whatever reason when you look at the waves, you think they are going to fall on you or flip your ski, and it’s never the case. You think it is though, so you pull your throttle a certain way.

Abigail Snyder @aberjail Instagram

It’s this pulling of the throttle that messes up the flow of the ride. It becomes inconsistent.

This inconsistency is a direct outcome to what happens when your ski glides through the water. It creates more wake beneath you, tossing you around. You literally create a problem beneath you!

It can all be prevented if you look up generally into the horizon.

Instead of looking straight down at waves, look up and out.

I’ve had so many guests come to me after a tour to thank me for this advice. They tell me that their ride was so much smoother after they stopped looking directly at the waves.

When you look directly at your problems, you tend to misplace your ‘throttle’ which in this case is your mind.

You let your mind run with thoughts regarding your problems that carry a certain amount of negative weight, causing your ride to be rough instead of smooth. You literally create a problem within you, in turn around you.

What if instead, you looked up rather than down?

This takes practice but is possible. And worth it. Again, direction changes everything.

3. Meet People Where They’re At

In this industry, people pay for our services for all kinds of various reasons. One might be they love the water and want to celebrate the birthday of a loved one. So they come out with us for a fun tour.

Abigail Snyder @aberjail Instagram

I’ve heard other people’s reasons be that they have always feared the water. They are here to conquer their fear.

Whatever the case may be, you have got to meet people where they’re at or quit.

It simply won’t work if you think you can force someone to do something. They are literally on a moving vehicle and have all the control. They can do whatever they want. It’s your job to guide them. But they still hold the power.

Some people will get out there and realize it was scarier than they initially thought. With this type of scenario you have to be patient and ask questions. Ask them what they’re having trouble with, what are they scared of, and if they want to go back.

If they say they want to stay, then I usually ask them what they’re afraid of.

If they say something like the throttle and how to ride, I tell them to go for a practice run in the water separate from the rest of the group. This takes off the pressure and let’s them know I’m right there with them to help build some confidence so we can keep going.

But sometimes it’s not the throttle that gets people, it’s the waves. In this case I tell them I will be right in front of them and they are to look straight up at the back of my ski to follow me.

When you give tunnel vision like this, it works. They don’t have to worry about anything else but the focal point you’ve given them. It’s amazing.

Whatever the scenario may be, understanding your role is crucial. You can’t force anyone to do anything so you might as well meet people where they’re at so you can move forward together, in unison.

At the end of the day, the guests always have the power. Respecting that is key to being the best guide you can be.

It all starts with meeting people where they are at.

How many relationships could have been salvaged if we just met people where they’re at instead of where we think they are supposed to be?

We are human. Life is one big trial and error. We all come into this life the same, we all leave this life the same. No one is above it.

Abigail Snyder @aberjail Instagram

Meeting people where they’re at on their journey is such a gem of a connection. Most people are already their worst critics doing the best they know how. The last thing they need is another person in their walk of life criticizing them.

What if instead of criticizing one another, we asked questions?

Like Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living” .

He also was all about the questions.

What if instead of presuming that person that cut you off on the highway was a jerk and nothing more, you asked yourself the question, “what if their mind is completely just not even here? Like they have so much stress they are overwhelmed and though they shouldn’t have cut me off, they didn’t do it to hurt me.”

This mindset releases you from feeling the need for revenge.

This mindset is a portal to the path of forgiveness. And forgiveness is the most incredible power to utilize.

Forgiveness can only come from the greatest force which is love. Love carries the highest vibration. We are all vibrating at a certain frequency.

Remember how greatly you want others to meet you where you’re at instead of where you feel like you should be.