Can you recall the feels of catching your first wave? Or the time you heard a roar behind you as the barrel came crashing down?
I remember the time I faced the waves. I tried to dodge the white water, diving just below the surface, hoping not to get caught in the cloud rushing towards me. The fury would have no mercy as it pulled me under.
Funny enough, I kept coming back. Paddling, fighting, and conquering the struggle as I made my way to the line-up. Each wave less intimidating.
Never underestimate the power of water, the waves, I thought.
However, I learned so much by testing my limits and pushing boundaries while I’m out at sea.
Surfing is my analogy to life itself.
I learned to combat fear through battling the waves, one after the other.
Here’s how I see it.
When I first started surfing, I was like everyone else, learning for the first time.
Then, every surf spot I went to, every board I tried, the times I couldn’t avoid a wave or make it over the falls.
Those were all new experiences that helped me become more equipped for my first barrel, for my first overhead wave. These moments were valuable lessons.
However, in the water, it’s much different because the stakes are higher.
Spending time in the ocean taught me the bravery to go for the giant waves and the strength to hold on to my focus because there is no time to think about anything else.
As soon as I second guess or lose trust in my ability, I give up control.
Whenever I get lost in what I am doing, I go to the water. I spend time with the life out there and get grounded. Only when connecting can I move forward with a bit of clarity.
My experience with surfing is humbling because the only person I compete against is myself.
In the water, commit, and the more times I practice commitment, the more it reflects itself in the things I do. It is the same on land, isn’t it? The famous saying “practice makes perfect” is the prime example.
However, surfing is more than a skill. Surfing is mental clarity, a form of stillness, but in mind.
I imagine this would be a struggle for many trying surfing for the first time, to let themselves surrender, a quiet death to the ego.
I go back to the water to spark the fire in my passions and, most importantly, my drive. My drive to keep going. My drive to keep at something important to me.
My track record for giving up stems from more profound childhood experiences that replicate themselves as I grow older. I wasn’t looking for something to save me or show me that I could do it until I found surfing, which enhanced my connection to nature and myself.
The ocean is stoic, and her waves are a playful gift that can be vicious, yet some still choose to conquer her. I learned to respect the sea and its beauty. She teaches me not to give up.
I move further in life while working on my relationship with the ocean because simultaneously, I learn about my limits and boundaries that help guide my way. I, alone, have so much to thank her for.
Humans are lucky to have the ocean as the mother, and as long as we keep polluting her, we continue hurting our mother. She continues to bless us with waves, with food, with life.
What will it take to respect our mother?
Written by Mash
Check out my website at www.unhiddenheart.com to know more about me, my personal journals, and poetry!
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