***A post from Wahine Wednesdays.

The weather this past Wednesday was gloomy.  The waves were disorganized and the tide was coming in.  But, as on every Wednesday for the past 29 Wednesdays, we did what we have always done.  We suited up.  Waxed our boards.  Slathered on sunscreen (yes even in cloudy weather).  And jumped in the water.

The soft, pink morning sky was illuminated behind the cloud cover.  The wind was calm and the water was warm.  I was with friends I adored. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of peace and serenity.

During this surf session, I had the opportunity to try a new surfboard.  Our ‘All Knowing Surf Guru,’ Mike, was riding Nemo, his board that replicates the colors of a clown fish.  Nemo is smaller than my board with a nose and tail with more of a point.

I mentioned I might want to try a shorter board sometime and Mike immediately said, “Here, ride this!”  I was taken aback.  Not quite sure if I wanted to risk having fun on my board versus potentially being frustrated and not catching waves on his.  It took a second but then I said, “I’m game.”

I wasn’t expecting it to paddle so effortlessly because it was shorter than my board, but I was able to get into the waves easily.  I was able to make late take offs without going over the falls or bailing out the last-minute.  I was able to turn quick and get into the pocket.  I had a BLAST!!!

I was so surprised and energized that trying something new was so fun, so fast! The learning curve was relatively small and I was able to do it and have an amazing time doing it!!  I caught several waves pretty quickly.  One wave ended with an emphatic WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!

This exhilarated me! Fired me up!

Not only was this fabulously fun, but it took me out of my comfort zone.  It made me realize that I had become complacent, almost apathetic on my surfboard.  I have surfed my board for about 5 years and I LOVE it!  I could surf it in my sleep.  But does it challenge me? Does it make me a better surfer? Probably not.

This elation I was feeling was such a high.  But, it also confronted me with a dim reality.  I had become blasé.  Content with familiarity and safety.  Almost indifferent. In my surfing and in my life.

When I reflected on this, I realized this apathy has been creeping into several areas of my life.  My workout routine.  Some of my relationships.  My eating habits. My professional goals.

I have been relying on the known . . . not pushing myself into new, unfamiliar and often times uncomfortable conditions.

[Tweet “Staying inside our comfort zone leads to the silence of our soul.”]

A somber mood came over me as I ruminated on this idea. I started wondering what I missed out on while I have been stagnant.  What opportunities or adventures have slipped away while I have been living in complacency?

Great white sharks will drown if they stop swimming.  It is more work for them to remain still than to swim.  Since they are obligate ram breathers, forward motion is required for them to obtain oxygen and stay alive.  I can take a lesson from (my most feared creature by the way) the great white.  We must maintain forward motion to live.

[Tweet “We must maintain forward motion to live.”]

I didn’t even realize I had stopped swimming and was at risk of drowning.  I didn’t realize I had become stagnant.  Things felt secure and predictable. I didn’t have to exert much effort.  I was able to maintain the illusion of control.

It is hard to accept.  This new self-awareness, that complacency ultimately leads to the silence of my soul. It leads to the demise of the most brave, creative, juicy part of myself.

My mind. My body. My energy. My spirit. My heart. Nothing is really being challenged if I am content to remain in this complacent state.  I have not been putting in effort to make any changes; big or small, easy or difficult.  I remain in a continual state of predictability.

“What is the difference between a living thing and a dead thing?  In the medical world, a clinical definition of death is a body that does not change. Change is life. Stagnation is death. If you don’t change, you die.  It’s that simple. It’s that scary.”       Leonard Sweet

We are constantly being presented with opportunities to look at ourselves.  I thank Wahine Wednesdays for being one of these.  To help me look at who I am and ask, “Is this who I want to be?”  If the answer is yes, and I am content with not making changes and keeping the status quo, then there are no issues.  But, if the answer is, “No, I want to be better! To thrive!  To flourish!”  Then I must take the chance to do things differently.  To accept challenges.  To say ‘Yes’ when I want to say ‘No.’ To push myself out of my comfort zone.  I must throw off the confines of the predictable.

I will take my lesson form the great white shark. I will maintain forward motion to obtain energy.  I will not fall asleep and chance the slow internal death of my soul. I will risk trying something new to forgo the comfortable.

I will continue moving. I will truly live.

Salty kisses,

Karen