Ride the Crest.

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Now I'm not a surfer, but even I know that the place to be is on top of the wave and not below it. Riding the crest of a wave must be thrilling.  I can't do it, but that's only because I haven't tried it.  I can remember as a kid watching the surfing contest from Hawaii and just sitting there in amazement at the size of the waves and the how those people could do what they did.

Life is kind of like that wave; heck you had to know there was an analogy in there somewhere.  Anyhow, life is like a wave, and just like a surfer desires to remain on top of the wave, so to must we as humans make the decision to stay above things in life.  Just what those things are is dependent on what you are doing or what you are facing.  The first thing you have to understand is that you dictate how you will see things in life and how you handle the different situations that each of us face each and every day.  If you are the type to always see doom and gloom then it's a good bet that your day is going to be filled with challenges and difficulties.  If on the other hand you realize the beauty that is life, and that you are here for a specific reason, well then, you will find yourself always riding the crest of the wave.

Let me draw you a picture and see if what I'm saying makes sense.  Picture yourself gliding on top of one of those monstrous waves in Hawaii.  Some of those behemoths are 30 to 40 feet high, and  you're riding the crest but you know that sooner or later you are going to have to make a move.  If you make the right move you will shoot the tunnel and come out a winner.  If you make the wrong move you are going to have thousands of gallons of water coming down right on top of you.  I've been swamped by a wave a few times in my life and the last thing you want to do is get hit by one and not be prepared.  When that wave is about to hit you take a huge breath, brace yourself for the blunt force, and just hope that you come back to the surface.  When you are underwater it seems like everything is in slow motion, and it's hard to get your bearings straight.  Now think for a moment some of the challenges you have faced in life.  Often you take a deep breath, things tend to be in slow motion, and hell no one seems to be able to keep their bearings straight.  The similarities are uncanny.

Now I'm trying to be light hearted about the whole thing, but let's face it there are some things in life that we face that are anything but light hearted.  There are times when the pressure of life is so intense that it feels like a giant wave is crushing down on you and you can't seem to get a breath of air.  This is not the place that most people want to find themselves in, but alas, this is the place that many people find themselves in on an almost daily basis.  So how is it that there are those who can continue to ride the crest of the wave, while others are constantly falling beneath the surface having to hold their breath and just praying that they get back to the surface?  It all starts with how you see yourself and whether or not you understand the reason you are here.

When a surfer starts out on a wave do you think they picture themselves just being beaten up by the wave, or do they in fact see themselves conquering it?  My guess is that they see themselves riding it safely to shore and then they get right back out there to do it again.  If you have been beaten up by the surf the better part of the day my guess is that you will put the board away and come back another day, if you come back at all.  And this is what I see in so many people's lives.  Those who are successful see their success.  Those who are defeated seem to live in that defeat and almost take comfort in it.  I don't know about you, but to me defeat sucks and I want to stay as far away from it as possible.  The question then arises:  how do you escape defeat or how do you conquer it?  You conquer it by first understanding that defeat is often brought about by our own words, thoughts and feelings.  If you constantly bemoan everything in life and are always stating that things will go wrong, then how can you expect any other outcome?  If on the other hand you see yourself as victorious in all things, then victory is almost assured, assuming you never fall victim to words of doubt, feelings of fear, and thoughts of dread.

Riding the crest in life is nothing more than accepting the fact that you are indeed a divine being, and with that divinity knowing that all things are as they need to be.  I have been buffeted by life in the past, but it wasn't until I finally believed in who and what I was that things began to turn around and I was able to stay above the water's surface and see life in a different way.  Trust me, riding the crest of a wave is far more enjoyable then having to hold your breath and hoping against hope that you make it back to the surface.

Surfers, those who have been doing it for a while, know what waves to tackle and what waves to leave alone.  Their experience of the past has prepared them to know which wave to choose and which ones to stay far, far away from.  If you can learn from your past, then you can stay away from those things that would love to take you below the water's surface.

Riding the crest of a wave is invigorating, it is thrilling, and it is the preferred way of doing things.  Knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, comes with experience.  If you want to experience the thrill of life, then learn from others who have already done things, and don't always try to re-invent the wheel.  I have long held the belief that I would rather have the help of others then try to do it all by myself.  If you want to learn to surf talk to a surfer who has done it for a while and learn from them.  If you want to learn about life, then talk to those who have done it for a while and learn from them.  Trust me, life can be a whole lot easier if you do it the right way.