Hello and good morning!
Many do not realize, but we are all taking surfing lessons every day! You may not like water, yet, you are soaking wet inside! You may not like your neighbor, yet, they have presence in your being – as do all, To the very degree that your judgment places them on the alter of your mind. When criticisms of others become the basis of justifying our own actions, we are at-once divided. One who is whole is only whole because they have realized The World within themselves; how can anyone judge another in a derogatory fashion and maintain their wholeness?
Surfing is a metaphor I developed to help me heal myself as I interact with others through out my day. Because life is movement (breath and time moves!), events and interactions of any nature, all occur in a flow of time – a wave. We are all on that wave together. There is no escape from surfing the wave of life. When the surfer rides a wave and another surfer cuts them off, they must turn; if they don’t, the crash terminates their ride. Those that can’t turn need long-boards that are more stable, turn slowly, and need to stay near shore so they don’t drown. Those who’s ego’s need reinforcement tend to promote themselves to a short-board and enter deep waters with big waves before they’ve mastered the basics of balancing and turning. Without the skills of body and mind that must be developed as beginners, fear arises beneath the pride and attention-seeking; mature surfers immediately see you as a danger to yourself and fear that you may be run over in the midst of a great wave. Naturally, they encourage you to return to safe waters; when such advice is not heeded, pain and strife are invited, for their voice has greater penetration than wisdom for the immature soul.
Today, I invite you to surf life through your mind~body~soul. If a wave of conflict or confrontation arises, simply pause. Sit on your board and gain your composure; this is where responding is intelligent and reacting without skill is an act of ignorance or stupidity. While sitting on your board, take time out to compose yourself – simply ask yourself, “is this a wave I need to ride?” If it isn’t, simply allow the other to have their own wave. When surfing, if you feel yourself falling into excessive expression – leaning too far- simply right yourself by leaning the other way. If you find the wave taking you in a direction other than you anticipated, know that the longer you wait to turn your board (self) toward harmony, the more likely you are to fall; this means to become frustrated or irritated because things aren’t going the way “you want them too”. We are all on the wave of life and to live without unnecessary stress, we must realize that we share the wave with all living beings. By surfing effectively, we teach those with less skill how to surf simply by allowing them to see how it’s done. Then, surfing is fun for all.
Enjoy the wave!
Love and chi,
Paul Chek
