Musings & Inspiration: The Ocean Versus My 12-Year Old Self

When I was young and remember seeing the ocean for the first time, it was so vast it took my breath away! The smell of the sea, the ocean breeze blowing in my hair, the sound of the waves crashing in on the beach...

We had been on a family road trip from Northern California to Hermosa Beach, and even though I was too young to drive, the journey was taking entirely too long. Driving the coastal route was beautiful, and I begged the others to wake me up whenever we got to see glimpses of the ocean. The anticipation of sprawling beaches surrounded by the ocean was more than I, or my family could handle at times, I'm sure.

Finally, we arrived and I ran out of the car overjoyed with excitement. It was already getting dark, so I was warned to slow down and stay in sight of my family. My senses were overwhelmed by the magnificence of it all, and yet I ran right to the beach feeling my feet sinking into the sand, the change of the textures as I approached the wet sand, and the warm waters that quickly swallowed me whole as a small wave came in and took me down with it under the water.

This gave my mom a good scare! But as she and my uncle pulled me out of the big vast ocean, as I rolled around with laughter and enjoyment, dripping wet, now covered in saltwater and sand, wondering why everyone was so concerned. I mean, I was 12 years old and knew how to swim, thank you very much. To the dismay of my mother, I thought it was awesome and got right back in the little waves to enjoy it all over again and again!

It is often said that the symbolism of water represents emotion. Too often when we are swept away by the emotion of difficult times, we can be taken down. But what happens when we allow ourselves to just get right back out there? We open ourselves up to new possibilities and outcomes. We could get hurt, or we could experience great joy. One thing is certain, that if we don't do anything, we fail.

So the next time you have the wind knocked out of you, physically or metaphorically, I challenge you to observe your own response. Whether you are laughing it off, or crying until there are no more tears, what happens next is where you can create the real magic in your life.

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