Surfing is all about where your mind is.

To surf, your mind definitely has to be in the game.

Today, I am not sure where my mind was.

It was distracted, not concentrating on the task at hand.

Wait . . . I take that back.

I know exactly where it was.

It was absorbing the beautiful morning sky.

It was enjoying the company of friends.

It was relishing in the warm ocean water.

It was mesmerized by the dolphin parade. The continual stream of gray smiling bodies swimming casually by me.

It was remembering past conversations with my family.

My mind was not buzzing with chatter.

It was not anxiety ridden with the endless to do list.

It was not agitated or angry.

My mind was at rest.

It was present; not letting the little things get lost in the noise.

But, my mind also was not surfing.

My body was on the board; prone and paddling. But my mind, my surfing mind, was nowhere to be found.

I was not on my feet much today.

For to be successful in surfing, the mind must be focused. It must have laser sharp attention to reading waves and catching them.

This was not meant to be, for something more important was at work.

I gave my mind permission to take some time off.  To be quiet. To be grateful.

To not focus on wave count or improving my style.

To just appreciate the moment.

I did end up catching a few waves, but no thanks to my mind.

My mind was elsewhere.

And for today, in the peace and beauty of the morning.

In the peace and beauty of this life.

That was okay.

“It’s all about where your mind’s at.” Kelly Slater

 

This was a piece I wrote almost two years ago as I was on a journey to surf every Wednesday for a year. I learned so much that year. And part of what I learned was the importance of being mindful. The importance of slowing down and enjoying life. Of sometimes, being okay with taking a respite from the craziness.

If you need encouragement, read this. If you’re a mom and need encouragement, read this too.

It’s okay for us to take a break from feeling the need to constantly be accomplishing something or working toward a goal. It’s okay to give ourselves permission to not be “going” all day, but instead to just “be.”

Salty Kisses,

Karen

 

“As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love—even the most simple action.” ~Eckhart Tolle

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