I am out in California this week and we are staying at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Nigel. It sits high on a cliff overlooking the ocean and it is a beautiful place. Every morning, I have been riding a bike at the gym on the property. The gym has a massive chandelier and floor to ceiling windows that look over the water. The equipment all faces these windows. I have been watching the surfers each morning as I pedal, amazed.
They paddle out, then sit and wait.
Patient and present
Sometimes a set comes to rapidly and everyone passes on the ride.
Sometimes a wave comes and only one or two surfers take it in, the others float on.
Occasionally a big wave comes and everyone pops up trying to ride it in and mostly get pummeled in the process.
These wipe outs can be epic.
Without fail, they all turn their boards back toward the deep and do it again.
Every time
They paddle back out
Sometimes you can see a guy shake his head and I imagine him saying ” dude, that was awesome!!”
Even if it was a wipeout
They turn around and do it again
Now, back at the gym, I am the only one watching
Everyone else, everyday
has watched the screen in front of them
Or their phones
Seriously
every person
everyday
I find it so tragic that people are missing all the beauty and
The lessons of the surfers
That no matter how bad it is
Do it again
If it’s epic and amazing
Do it again
Everyday you wake up, you get to do it again
So, when wipe outs occur and they will
Do it again
If you are in a space where you feel like you are caught in a riptide and being pulled out to sea
Just sit and wait, don’t struggle
You can and will get out of it
Then you shake your head
Tell God your grateful for another day
And go do it again