Appreciate what you have, and don’t complain about what could be.
While you do learn some important things from surfing, you actually learn a lot of other important life lessons by not going surfing. I am not just a passionate surfer. I am a totally addicted environmentalist surfer. I wake up before 5 am every single day to go surfing in the morning, and sometimes go again at night. Surfing does not only give me rich experiences to understand environmental problems, but it also supports my passion for the natural environment. However, sometimes this passion makes me blind to other enjoyments in my life.
This weekend, I went to the North coast of Bali, which is known for diving, but not for surfing, as there are no waves. Yes, there are beaches with no waves in Bali. I learned three things during the trip, so I am sharing my experience with you.
1. Cut off the phone and internet
These days, I am stressed about deadlines, phone calls, the Internet, and tiny waves. Not only did I switch off my phone, but also I decided to check neither my email nor the Internet in general until I came back to home. I decided to enjoy the trip as much as I could without distractions. I am sorry, my friends, I love you all, but I need to focus on fewer things. I turned on my radio very loud, sang even louder, and drove very, very fast on the winding road. I focussed on now, and only now!
2. Appreciate what you have
I am getting used to giving things up. I do not need to send an SMS to my best surf buddy to arrange a morning surf meeting, as I am sure I will not surf for a few days. Instead, I talked to friends and family in person and played Aussie-rules football. I also tried to catch tropical fish and pretended to be Jacques Mayol. I know coral reefs have one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, but I tend to forget about this. When there are no waves, it is easier to check out the reefs, but instead, I had been thinking about what I could not have there: waves. There is much more to the ocean than waves.
3. The real beauty is unconditionally beautiful
The last day of our trip, in the morning, I woke up a bit late, but still well before my surf patrol time. I went to the beach, although I knew that there are no waves. But it was okay, as I was focusing on what I saw in the present moment. After waiting for thirty minutes, a sunbeam landed on my head. I saw the sunrise from the beach, while I usually see it from my surfboard surfboard. There was no surf, but I was happy to be there.
So here’s the takeaway: unplug from technology as often as you can. Live where you are, not where you phone can take you. Appreciate what you have instead of complaining about what you could have. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, the real beauty in things is unconditionally beautiful. No judgement needed.
Yes, surfing gives us rich experiences, but there are much more important things in life… sometimes – only sometimes.
