Life is a lot like surfing. Sometimes you are in the flow of the most magnificent wave. Sometimes you miss that wave and other times you take a total beating. But one thing is for certain- When you fall down you have to get up. Recently I found myself caught off guard, and ended up taking a bit of a fall. Only this time while I was getting up, I was hit again and I fell down...Again...and instead of getting up, I got caught in the undertow.Being under violent crazy water not knowing when you are going to pop up for air or even 'if' you will be able to catch your breath is an uncomfortable place to be. It is easy to go into fear in that crazy storm. It can be difficult but it is So Important To Stay Present when that happens and just simply focus on getting head above water.I swam hard, I fought the current.Thankfully I did pop up. I got a breath. Then as things settled I got a few more breaths and eventually I ended up washed up on shore. A bit surprised, relieved, and totally exhausted.I would never have fallen if I had not decided to surf in the first place.Do I regret surfing?Not at all.Am I going to run out there to hop on a big wave right away?Not so much.I think I might take a couple of days in the kiddie pool with a lemonade and recover first.Am I talking about surfing?Yes and no.Am I talking about life?You bet I am.As a Holistic practitioner, I have a lot of tools at my disposal for health wellness and balance. Does that make my life immune to challenges? Not at all. In fact I often joke that my life challenges have gotten larger in comparison to my available tools-just to keep things fair and balanced in the universe. : )Even the most present, aware and balanced surfer is going to fall. You cannot live your life afraid of the fall.If you are going to ride those big waves, then you need to train hard and prepare for them so that if you fall while surfing them, you can survive it.You also need to go into surfing them with no fear. Sure you may fall, you may even get hurt-but if you let the 'what ifs' and fears hold you back, that is not living.So because I am a surfer and because I have 'been there'(on the bad side of a wave) a few times over the years and I am still 'here', this is my best advice for what to do when you fall off your wave, and how to get back up and surfing again. : )
1. Take Action- Try at first to help yourself. Try to swim to get up for air. If you cannot, or the water is too rough then....2. Just Wait. Continue to hold your breath and allow the water to move you up and out or to shore. Baby steps or one step at a time. Only look at the things directly in front of you that need immediate attention and let everything else fall away.3. Surrender. Know that this is Bigger Than You. If your effort alone would change this you would have had results from step #1. If you are still being tossed around, recognize that you do not control these larger elements. Things are rearranging in your life. Allow them to.Chaos Always precedes Large change. The bigger the chaos, the large the change.4. Be The Observer. Watch the scene with calm detachment as though it was a movie you were watching-instead of feeling yourself in the scene. By taking that step back to observer perspective, you will see valuable and helpful things you may have missed while 'in it'.5. Ask For Help. This may mean asking someone for advice, getting more information, or researching something more. It could be that you need actual physical help, or healing. This also includes asking spirit for help and prayer.6. Be Open To Receive the help you asked for. Take that advice. Listen. Allow yourself to receive that love and healing you asked for. Embrace those answered prayers.7. Build yourself up again. Recover. Be kind and gentle. Learn from your 'mistakes' and then get back out there and get back on your wave. After all, you are a surfer!I was a bit later than I wanted getting this post up and out there. Thankfully things have settled for me and I'm back on my board but still felt it was important to share this because I know I am not the only 'life surfer' out there, and I definately know I am not the only one who has fallen and had to get up again. This is for all of the courageous and fearless surfers trying to live their dreams and not giving up, not even when they fall or get knocked down every so often.As Dory in finding Nemo sings..."just keep on swimming, swimming, swimming..."Lots of Love,Kerri