Dog Paddling — also called Survival Swimming.

For a dog, the goal is simple: to cross the water safely. There is no thought of style, joy, or struggle — only the instinct to move forward. Survival. Success. The Goal.
Hence the name Survival Swimming !

Lets understand Dog Paddling !
Stretch your arms forward while keeping your head above the water.

Move one hand at a time, pulling the water toward you in a scooping motion.

This is where the Buddhist idea of Mu (無) resonates. In Animals there is no self to cling to, no separation between the doer and the act. The dog simply swims.

The dog’s swim is—pure action without self.
The human’s swim is Mu—with a self-aware presence.

Kick and move your legs steadily to help propel yourself forward.

Occasionally dip your head into the water to exhale and relax, then bring it back up to inhale.

Humans, however, are different. While we can move by instinct as animals do, we also carry the ability to experience the self in the moment—feeling the water, the breath, the joy, or even the struggle. Our consciousness allows us both presence and reflection. 

For me, the last 2.5 years have been my own form of survival swimming. In May 2023, I stood at two crossroads: one, a job offer that demanded I compromise my values — from the same person who tried to do so back in March 2018; the other, a path of financial hardship. I chose hardship over surrender.

It wasn’t easy — during my mother’s surgery this month, arranging funds beyond insurance was tough, and my siblings’ questions cut deep. 

“I was sitting outside the ICU, in tears, when I finally broke down and told my siblings about the two crossroads I had faced — and why choosing financial hardship was the only path left to me.” 

Yet, in this dog paddle of survival, I found strength.

This struggle taught me more than 20 years of experience ever did. I now understand leadership at a level that prepares me for roles like CFO, CMO, CBO, or CSO. As I near the end of my current contract with only three months left, I know one thing with certainty: the sacrifice was worth it.

Dog Paddling - Also called Survival Swimming !

If Rani Mehra from the movie Queen reflects the quiet inner struggle, Devasena from the movie Baahubali embodies the fire of standing tall and striking back at those who tried to break her. In 2018, so inspired was I by Devasena that I bought a dress in her spirit — and to this day, I have preserved it. A dress, a symbol, of the Queen’s strength.

Iam Rani Mehra from the movie Queen !
And i love Ice Cream because it has the capacity to heal my wound.

Because the true crown of a Queen is not her marital status, not her titles, not her victories.
The crown of a Queen is her dignity.

Just like dog paddling, survival is instinct. But to survive with dignity — that is consciousness, that is Mu, and that is what makes a woman a Queen.

“The goal is simply to cross the water — in human language, that means success. But the true success is carried only in dignity.”