Have you considered how to "surf today"? Every day?
While we wish life were filled with perfect easy-to-surf waves, learning to “surf today” is the way.
Surfing each day, down to each moment, as it comes.
Slowing down. Paying attention. Breathing. Staying present.
Riding the waves. Riding the emotions. Easy tiny ones. Massive soul-crushing ones. They all show up. Our job is to navigate them with grace and finesse.
This is how we travel well through each and every day. By taking each wave, each emotion, each happening, each day, as it comes. One at a time. Noticing how they arise, the texture, the speed, and the intensity. Staying present, letting it pass, or paddling hard. Breathing, popping up and in, riding it out.
We nod to the ancient wisdom of nomadic people who knew how to travell well. While leaning progressive, we use this archaic spelling of ‘travell’ to tip our hats with respect to those who came before us. They did not question “WTF?” when up against the challenges of a constantly shifting lifestyle. Adaptability and flexibility were the name of the game.
We have become sedentary in this modern life. We have become entitled.
We expect everything without lifting a finger.
This is engulfing to the point where more humans than not are living with disease and dis-ease of the mind and body. Challenging ourselves toward upheaval so that we can uplevel might seem straight up silly. However, motivating ourselves in every single realm is the way to find our freedom. Persuading ourselves to go out in the ocean and stick with it. Inspiring ourselves to stay present in a relationship and stick with it.
No one is going to do it for you.
Much like surfing, the environment of a transient being, nomad, or vanlifer is constantly shifting. As human beings, the environment within the self, our thoughts, emotions and feelings are also ever-changing. The waves are all different. Different in size. Different in force. Some roll slow and some close out hard and fast. The temperature or the wind can shift on a dime. The wind kicks up or the sun suddenly shines and your whole experience changes. The temperature of the water can also vary day to day. So any expectations must be left behind. You never really know what the waves will bring unless you get out there.
Expect nothing, gain everything.
Translating surfing to life is great encouragement to relax, lower expectations of any kind, simultaneously challenge ourselves and then notice how we react. How do we adapt to self-inflicted change? How do we adapt to change beyond our control? Are we flexible? Are we rigid? Are we open? Do we shut down? Do we roll with it or do we become uptight?
Once we notice, we can begin to look for tools and techniques to manage our reactions and potentially place ourselves in the right place at the right time to efficiently and effectively ride the waves of the ocean and the even more challenging waves of life.
Above all, to travell well, we must stay in today, surfing one day at a time.