There is a feeling of serenity as I gaze over the early morning river reflections. A slight mist rests gently on the water and softens the city skyline in the background. The water looks like glass except for the creases caused by two or three rowing teams practising their skills. The boats create a fishbone image in the still water, the oars moving in unison, not disturbing the water but painting their perfect images as they appear out of the mist.

The scene is perfect, but as I watch I realise that if I stepped down from my vantage point on a bridge high above the river, and joined one of the rowing teams I would find a different scene. Tremendous energy is being exerted as muscular arms push the oars through the water, propelling the craft at a deceptive speed, energy that is the result of extensive training both in the gym and on the water. This is a finely tuned team who work together and share the load to ensure that the overall goal is achieved. The scene of serenity from the bridge above, the perfect fishbone image in the water, is only possible as the result of years of hard work, the exertion of energy and the discipline of team work.

I wonder what people see of me from a distance. Do they have a sense of serenity or do they see my craft criss-crossing the river as the oarsmen erratically plunge their oars into the river whenever it seems best to them. I'm told to "do my own thing" and "be my own person", but it's funny how there are so many influences on my life that result in "my own thing" being a hotchpotch of everybody else's "thing". But the view from the bridge tells me that self control and discipline, as difficult as they seem at the time, produce a more lasting and serene result.