You Can't Stop the Waves

Learning to surf in the midst of chaos

My time in Hawaii was the three shortest years of my life.

Growing up in Indiana, cornfields and basketball courts surrounded me. My first time on a jet had been only a year before to go to Marine Corps Boot Camp.

Living in Hawaii was like being transported to another world, a literal paradise.

It was also challenging; I was a young Marine with a wife and son to support. While truly a paradise, the cost of living in Hawaii was way above my military salary.

We embraced it as an adventure and were determined to get everything out of the experience we could.

The beach didn't cost any money. We spent a great deal of our time on the North Shore, where the world's best surfers would compete.

You could tell the experienced surfers from the novices like me. They were the ones who were connecting with the flow. They didn't fight or force it; they waited for the right moment and the right wave.

Occasionally, they'd start to ride a wave, realize it wasn't the right one, and jump off to reset for the next wave.  

Jon Kabat-Zinn connected this metaphor to life by saying, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."

Too often, we are like the inexperienced surfers who try to force it, riding a wave that isn't for them. They typically wipe out.

Nothing symbolizes human futility more than pushing against the ocean's waves.

What if you could be at peace in the middle of the chaos? What if you could learn to find flow like a surfer riding a wave?

Reflection:

Let's talk about some approaches to learning to surf the waves of life.

🏄🏼‍♂️ See every wave as part of your training.

🏄🏾‍♀️ Use the waves of change to establish the habit of being present.

🏄🏿‍♂️ Be open and ready during times of uncertainty. Opportunities like the perfect wave present themselves when we least expect them.

🏄🏻‍♀️ Embrace the changes and see each one as a chance to practice finding focus amid chaos.

Ask yourself:

Can I find joy in the middle of the storm?

What beauty can I find in the chaos of my life today?

Am I willing to do the work to go from novice to experienced surfer?