EMBRACING THE UNKNOWN

When I was eleven, my parents put me in a junior life program in Newport Beach, California. Prior to the program, I had never really swam in the ocean - and to be quite honest, I was terrified.

Everyday we would swim out to a bouy next to the pier and ran on the sandy beach. Whenever someone would say “yeah” instead of “yes”, we had to get down and give 10. Over the course of weeks, I shedded my fear of the ocean, learned how to dive through the waves and tread water comfortably 300 yards away from shore. 

When you swim past the break, you learn to observe the sea and anticipate the swells. Your body, like a float, bobs up and down as the water moves under you. The ocean is a powerful thing. It’s massive.

Today, it’s just as mysterious to me as it was then.

But the lessons that I learned observing the ocean as a child have paid dividends throughout the years. 

The ocean, like life, is predictable in one way.
The waves will come.

Some will be manageable; some will be fun - but some, will be larger than you expect, and likely throw you around. With time, you learn that the best way to manage the unknown of the seas is to be vigilant, and simply embrace the swells.

Agility.

Attentiveness.

Preparedness.

These all play a role.

Whatever you do, you won’t be able to stop what’s coming at you.

So go with the flow and ride the swell.