--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fish who keeps on swimming is the…" description: "\"The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.\" — Nick Hexum" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg" --- # The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill… ![“The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.” quote by Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg) > “The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.” [Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perseverance in swimming upstream leads to being the first to experience the cool, rewarding flow. **In simple terms:** Keep moving forward despite obstacles. Key Takeaway Persist through challenges for unique rewards. Themes perseverance challenge reward growth Mood inspirational energetic Type metaphorical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - personal fitness - creative projects Key Concepts metaphor self‑discipline goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What “upstream” goal are you pursuing? - How do you stay motivated during setbacks? A Different Perspective Obstacles may cause burnout if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adages/) [Chill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chill/) [Chill Upstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chill-upstream-6019716/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Fish Keeps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish-keeps-6019719/) [Fishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishes/) [Keeps Swimming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeps-swimming-6019718/) [Swimming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming/) [Swimming Chill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming-chill-6019717/) [Upstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upstream/) ## Related quotes > [I have always liked working "upstream" long before health problems hit the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/i-have-always-liked-working-upstream-long-before-health-problems-hit/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [Marketers have to move upstream now. We have to stop being the last step in the process and start being the first step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/marketers-have-to-move-upstream-now-we-have-to-stop-being-the-last/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [You never stand beside the same river twice; you have to keep looking upstream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-keough/you-never-stand-beside-the-same-river-twice-you-have-to-keep-looking/) [Donald Keough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-keough/) > [“Never row upstream and fight the currents of life, or passively wait for the tides to change. To get to your destination, calibrate your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/never-row-upstream-and-fight-the-currents-of-life-or-passively-wait/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [“Look upstream. Just simply turn around; have you no will?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/look-upstream-just-simply-turn-around-have-you-no-will/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“In the beginning I was so young and such a stranger to myself I hardly existed. I had to go out in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-olier/in-the-beginning-i-was-so-young-and-such-a-stranger-to-myself-i/) [Mary Olier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-olier/) > [I fished upstream coming ever closer and closer to the narrow staircase of the canyon. Then I went up into it as if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brautigan/i-fished-upstream-coming-ever-closer-and-closer-to-the-narrow/) [Richard Brautigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brautigan/) > [“学如逆水行舟，不进则退 / Studying is like rowing a bot upstream, not moving forward is to fall behind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinese-proverb/studying-is-like-rowing-a-bot-upstream-not-moving-forward-is-to-fall/) [Chinese Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinese-proverb/) > [“it makes no sense to scoop people out of the river when we could go upstream and prevent them from falling in in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-nutik-zitter/it-makes-no-sense-to-scoop-people-out-of-the-river-when-we-could-go/) [Jessica Nutik Zitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-nutik-zitter/) > [“We should follow every supply that runs into the particular lake below, going upstream in terms of we can. When we do not find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chayada-welljaipet/we-should-follow-every-supply-that-runs-into-the-particular-lake/) [Chayada Welljaipet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chayada-welljaipet/) > [Your background it ain't squeaky clean shit. Sometimes we all got to swim upstream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/your-background-it-ain-t-squeaky-clean-shit-sometimes-we-all-got-to/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > ['Upstream Color' in particular, it's got to infect culture at some level in order to have a life of its own. Then it'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-carruth/upstream-color-in-particular-it-s-got-to-infect-culture-at-some-level/) [Shane Carruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-carruth/) > [Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinese-proverbs/learning-is-like-rowing-upstream-not-to-advance-is-to-drop-back/) [Chinese Proverbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinese-proverbs/) > [There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/there-comes-a-point-where-we-need-to-stop-just-pulling-people-out-of/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/swim-upstream-go-the-other-way-ignore-the-conventional-wisdom/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) ## More by Nick Hexum > [“Bright mornings, days when I want so much, I want nothing. Just this life and no more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/bright-mornings-days-when-i-want-so-much-i-want-nothing-just-this/) [Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) > [There's nothing like the comfort of a silence that's comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/there-s-nothing-like-the-comfort-of-a-silence-that-s-comfortable/) [Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) > [Stay positive and love your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/stay-positive-and-love-your-life/) [Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) > [ We've got the slowest 311 song ever, called 'Solar Flare,' which is a scathing political rap that \[vocalist\] S.A. \[Martinez\] puts over a really… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/we-ve-got-the-slowest-311-song-ever-called-solar-flare-which-is-a/) [Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) > [Life's a bowl of punch, go ahead and spike it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/life-s-a-bowl-of-punch-go-ahead-and-spike-it/) [Nick Hexum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) [Explore all 6 Nick Hexum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/) ## More Adages quotes > [It’s not just the adage ‘write what you know,’ it’s about gathering up all of the knowledge and experience you’ve collected up to now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/it-s-not-just-the-adage-write-what-you-know-it-s-about-gathering-up/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Wise is the tongue, wet of perfect thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-francis/wise-is-the-tongue-wet-of-perfect-thought/) [Black Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-francis/) > [Another lesson about a naive fool who came to Babylon, and found out that the pie don't taste so sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-yoakam/another-lesson-about-a-naive-fool-who-came-to-babylon-and-found-out/) [Dwight Yoakam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-yoakam/) > [“An expensive coffin does not decrease the deceased’s chances of going to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-expensive-coffin-does-not-decrease-the-deceased-s-chances-of-going/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [If you need somebody you can trust, trust yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/if-you-need-somebody-you-can-trust-trust-yourself/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Something happens when your subconscious goes to work... That's why 'Sleep on it' is an adage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-voight/something-happens-when-your-subconscious-goes-to-work-that-s-why/) [Jon Voight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-voight/) > [There's an adage that a lot of coaches have, that I completely disagree with, is if you make the Olympic team too early you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-coughlin/there-s-an-adage-that-a-lot-of-coaches-have-that-i-completely/) [Natalie Coughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-coughlin/) > [An ancient adage warns, "Never go to sea with two chronometers; take one or three."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-brooks/an-ancient-adage-warns-never-go-to-sea-with-two-chronometers-take-one/) [Fred Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-brooks/) > [Don't judge the picture by the frame, every man is not the same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/don-t-judge-the-picture-by-the-frame-every-man-is-not-the-same/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Failure isn't failure if a lesson from it's learned. I guess love would not be love without a risk of being burned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-brooks/failure-isn-t-failure-if-a-lesson-from-it-s-learned-i-guess-love/) [Garth Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-brooks/) > [When you have everything, you have everything to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/when-you-have-everything-you-have-everything-to-lose/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [As the old African adage says, 'everybody skin to me ain't kin to me'. So you can't exclusively make that the criteria of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/as-the-old-african-adage-says-everybody-skin-to-me-ain-t-kin-to-me-so/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [Fool you once, you are forgiven. Fool you twice, you're just a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-chapin-carpenter/fool-you-once-you-are-forgiven-fool-you-twice-you-re-just-a-fool/) [Mary Chapin Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-chapin-carpenter/) [Browse all 340 Adages quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adages/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Hexum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-first-to-chill-upstream/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adages" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-first-to-chill-upstream/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/nick-hexum-57325_adages_the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-fi_2402168.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.” — Nick Hexum", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nick Hexum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hexum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The fish who keeps on swimming...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-first-to-chill-upstream/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hexum/the-fish-who-keeps-on-swimming-is-the-first-to-chill-upstream/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```