Surfing: A Metaphor on Life
How we as humans view life is through metaphor. We compare new experiences and new lessons with information that we already know as well as past experiences to gain understanding. So it only makes sense that there is a Surfer metaphor on the mentality of a surfer. Surfers understand that when they reach the top of a wave they do not make the mistake of believing that they get to stay up there forever, enjoying the high and won't have to come back down. In fact, they already have anticipated the fall back down.
However, each time they reach the top of a wave, they savor every second and ride it as long as they can. But they know that eventually that wave will come crashing down and they will have to fall and maybe even another wave will come crashing down on top of them. And they don't let that fact upset them because a surfer always understands that there are more waves coming, more opportunities. And that's the experience of surfing. If you could be prepared for the next wave crashing down on you and not be affected and you can in fact enjoy the experience of being alive and understand that there are two parts to life, then you have won this game we call life. That is the secret to inner peace.
This is the key to ever lasting joy. The key to not letting your circumastances affect your well being. Because the mind is a powerful thing. If you constantly feed your brain unhealthy food, like bad mental dialogue, or listen to the doubts and fears of others then you will believe that those words are your circumstances. Or, you can take yourself by the hand, be kind to yourself, observe any strong emotions that you have within yourself with compassion and not react negatively to your circumstances, then you can eliminate a lot of stress, a lot of anxiety, depression and live your life with purpose.
Our brains have been trained all our childhood and life to have these unhealthy habits, these unhealthy mindsets. We have been looking at our value based on our success and failures. And so, if we do not complete goals and tasks following the expectations of others, then we feel like failures, because they tell us we have failed according to their specific view point. But what about your view point? Did you do your best? Did you have all the tools that you needed to do a good job? If you did do your best, then it was most certainly a success! And your mental dialogue should not be an echo of your parents, siblings, teachers, and bosses. It should be your own opinion of yourself that matters.
So the question is, Do you want to be happier? If the answer is yes, then you must adopt a new mentality.
And it all begins with you taking the first step. Practice daily. You will not be successful the first try, the second, the third, but you will see improvement. You feel the difference.
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