Don’t fight it deal with it

So I arrived at my favourite surf spot today happy and content with where I was both mentally and physically. I paddled out and the water was surprisingly warmer than usual, and the waves were marching onto the shore with consistency. The only blouch on my mind appeared when I noticed I was one of fifteen or so surfers out in the water, and as time passed this number would steadily increase.

The session was frustrating as I was battling the other surfers in my mind as well as on the waves. After anxiously waiting my turn in the lineup I saw my blip of exultation appear on the horizon marching towards me as I began timing my entry. The takeoff was smooth and clean as I slid down and began caressing the face of the wave with my hand.

My euphoria was shortly lived as one of the masses decided that he wanted to share my euphoria and drop in on my happiness. I made a timely exit out of the wave to avoid a pile up of surfboards and humans. The insults began trickling into my mind as my patience was swept down the shoreline. Not reacting I paddled back to my spot and looked towards the horizon for my next blip.

The next wave came and the same thing happened. At this point the feeling sorry for myself part of my ego emerged, as I threw up my hands in desperation at the situation that was unfolding, and a barrage of insults were released in my mind as the battle lines had been drawn. Patience long gone by now as I tried to bring my ego under control.

Third time lucky, not in my case as the crowds of people descended upon the next blip all but a few ignoring the rules of the road as yet again my wave was “snaked” and my exultation denied.

Bobbing around in the ocean clutching my board I came to a moment of stillness and realization — we all had a right to be there searching for our blip of happiness.

Instead of fighting it I needed to deal with it.

The insults purged from my mind as I now turned this foe into an ally.

I began thinking about my positioning in the water and I took cognisance of the people around me and where they were sitting in the water. I changed my fighting mindset into a strategic one. I began accepting the situation for what it was, and dealing with it in a way that would generate the best possible outcome for me in that moment.

Zoning into my blips of happiness the surrounding noise of surfers disappeared as I entered that priceless place of being in the moment. This was an important reminder to me of what I needed to bring onto land and into my work. Instead of feeling like a victim and blaming everyone else for my lack of achievement and circumstances. I needed to take full responsibility for my destiny and deal with the current conditions.

Removing resistance from the situation allowed me to appreciate my circumstances from a more enlightened perspective. Try it, instead of silently allowing your mind to build barriers and fight against your current conditions, grab hold of your ego and redirect it to a place that can deal with the situation at hand and find a solution.