Ep 63: Ride the Wave

Ride the wave. Such a useful metaphor. Yes, I am actually going to tell you a story about surfing actual waves, but my experience surfing really helped me see how riding the metaphorical waves of life can go well, or poorly. There was a time in my life when I decided I was gonna learn to surf. I had just moved from AZ to SoCal, and my neighbors were surfers, and one day, one of them invited me to learn to surf… in Mexico. Why not? I thought to myself. We drove to his surf shack in Mexico, and down to the beach we went… but this wasn’t like any beach I’d been to… you see… there was no sand anywhere… just rocks. Rocks are Better Than sand My friend explained that rock beaches make for the best surfing because they rocks don’t shift like sand does, so the waves break in exactly the same spot… every time. “Sounds logical” I told myself… until it was my turn to drop into a wave, because all I saw through the crystal clear waters were ROCKS should I fall… and I was a beginner so guess who expected to be doing a lot of falling that day! I’m not gonna lie. I was a bit terrified, but as I paddled over to the side where the waves weren’t breaking, I watched my buddy drop in to the same spot over and over again with a smile like a little kid. He wasn’t looking at the rocks. He was looking at the wave. The Art of Focus Recently, life has afforded me the opportunity to ride the wave metaphorically speaking. I’ve got a BIG wave at work, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m frightened by its size. The game is for me to make sure I manage my focus, because if I look at the wave, it’s potentially a thrilling ride, but if I look at the rocks, it’s terrifying. In uncertainty, we can look at the wave or we can look at the rocks. I know from experience what both feel like when surfing, and I know from experience what both feel like in life. That’s what makes life a wave worth riding. In this new track, you're going to hear the churn of the waves, and you're going to hear my friend's joy riding on top of those waves. Hopefully this track allows you to reflect on 'the surf' that is in your life. What are YOU focusing on? For the "Relaxation Vacation", visit: https://www.sonicrecovery.com For the Music in Recovery Self-Care Guide for Healthcare Professionals, visit: https://hcp.sonicrecovery.com/ Learn about our sponsor: Dr. Neecie Moore