Cotton Candy Skies
This morning, I made my fourth attempt at surfing, and for the fourth time, I did not stand up on a wave.
And I couldn’t care less.
We started our hour in the sixty-three-degree Pacific Ocean around 5:45 under the moonlight, which was beautiful. Not a single street light could be seen, yet the water was lit up by the light of the moon and the morning stars. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so small—here I was, sitting on a surfboard surrounded by the darkness of the ocean and the deeper darkness of the pre-dawn sky. I was a small dot in a literal sea of darkness.
Off to the east, the morning sun began to make its presence known as shades of purple, pink, and orange began to creep across the sky. Eventually, I looked out from my board at a cotton candy sky–a beautiful blend of pink and blue. I’ve never been so happy and enjoyed being cold and wet as I was this morning.
This memorable experience (and the tone it set for my day) could have easily been missed.
I mentioned this morning was my fourth attempt at surfing and the fourth time I failed at standing up on a wave, yet I had and still have no disappointment in what some might look at as a failed session. During the time out on the water, I experienced no frustration, anger, or feeling of defeat as I paddled around trying to catch a wave.
Sure, it would have been cool to stand up and throw a hang-ten symbol to my kind friend who took me out, but if I had allowed my Self to be too focused and determined actually to surf, I would have missed the beauty of the transitioning from night to morning. I would have missed the serenity of sitting on a board in the middle of the ocean. I would have missed the opportunity to just be present in an environment I don’t get experience very often.
Sometimes, we get so fixated on our goals that we miss the beauty of the journey to that goal.
One day, I will stand up on a wave and ride it all the way to shore–I have no doubts. But no matter how many times it takes me to get there, I’m going to immerse myself in the moment fully and not put too much pressure on the ride so I can enjoy the beauty of that day’s experience–I’m catching all of the cotton candy skies I can.
Don’t miss your own cotton candy skies as you pursue your goals.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
