The ocean is a metaphor for life in so many ways. It is beautiful and strong, resilient and ever present. The tides ebb and flow and we move along with them. The water can be smooth as glass or violent and stormy, we must always be conscious and aware in its presence. The experience in the water can kill you or save you as you wash up on the shore. Life is like that. It is beautiful and rich with experience, but it can be extremely hard at times. We go through rough and turbulent times and times of peace and serenity. We are an individual drop but also part of the whole collective just as a drop of the ocean is part of the whole ocean. We have our own life but also blend and assimilate lending our individual essence to the whole of humanity.
We are here in this life for the experience of growth and healing. When we float in the warm waters off a beautiful coast somewhere it feels peaceful and calm. The ocean washes away our tears, our sorrow, and our pain. It’s a place people take refuge to rinse off daily life. It is complex and deep, seemingly smooth on the surface but under the surface flows a strong rip current. Similarly, we get lulled into a false sense of security only to have an undertow catch us by surprise and pull us under or drag us down the shoreline. We must always be vigilant and aware, gauge the elements, the currents and our circumstances before venturing deeper. Sometimes we get caught off guard by a traumatic event or wound that comes to the surface and feel the pull of the current. We are triggered by these events and are often scared. Pain and fear go hand in hand. We don’t realize these struggles are signposts like buoys guiding us and marking our location and direction.
It seems the bigger the wave, the deeper we must dive. Healing comes from the deep dive into the dark. This is where we hold our deepest vulnerabilities and darkest secrets. Our stories take on a life of their own, and very often they lead us off course. We seek to validate that which we think we are without knowing and accepting who we really are. To remain in the shallows is the path of least resistance. We must enter the ocean and venture out into the deep for true growth and expansion. This is where it gets real, where we must swim or die.
Many people choose to remain safe in the shallows, they wish to float and cruise. They wish to avoid pain at all costs and in effect avoid their inner knowing and truth. To acknowledge something that needs healing requires doing something about it. We can’t hide what we expose, so it’s safer to bury our feelings and avoid the inner work. This is the point where they begin to sink. The drinking becomes progressively worse, the denial builds, the charade grows. Expansion of the soul requires navigating life with incredible endurance and courage. There are highs and lows and for those who are fragile it can be a very difficult journey. Something happens though as we start diving and swimming out into the deep, it gets easier. Each wave we dive under and each stroke we take builds endurance, we become stronger.
Everything we face, every obstacle we overcome sets us up for the next one and the next and soon there is a level of mastery of self that is achieved. We elevate to the next level. The ascension process can be fast or slow depending on the person. Some take to the journey with excitement and enthusiasm while other prefer to remain the same and languish repeating the same behaviors and making the same excuses. There are no wrong choices, however, those who can face themselves, their fears and truths (the good, the bad and the ugly) ultimately find themselves creating a life of inner peace. The seas become calm as they swim, there is no turbulence or undertow.
Courage is required because the way is not easy. There are obstacles and difficult circumstances that challenge us. Those brave enough to take on the challenge of healing themselves are often criticized by those who don’t have the guts to do it. The critics sit on the sidelines as all their feelings of insecurity and fear rise. It is easy for them to criticize from the shore and project their shit on those of us in the water. They aren’t swimming for their life. They don’t dare seek their own greatness. It requires inner strength and fortitude to carry on in the face of adversity. We often walk alone as we strive to be our highest and best self. I traveled my path completely alone for many years. The people around me didn’t understand who I was becoming and did everything possible to discourage me. The whispers behind my back were hurtful, but I kept swimming. My destiny was calling, and I answered.
If you are one of the warriors facing your truth and going deep, it will get easier. There are many people available to support you on your journey, myself included. You can check out my work on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCDX-BxYVubb2iHaxYUU9aQ or my website: https://alinealifecoaching.com/
Keep swimming. You’re going to make it!
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