Never Quit

Great Multi-media Story on ASP Women's Tour Pro Karina Petronia

http://www.surfline.com/video/video_player/video_player.cfm?id=17863&mv=web

With Republican Party Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin
"slam dunking" her speech at the Convention in Minneapolis,
and hours after another hurricane reminded us of another
Katrina, along comes this heart felt story about pro surfer
Katrina Petroni, who comes off as ready to lead America as
Mrs. Palin. While I may not agree with her socio-political
perspective, Katrina gets my vote because she has grasped the
precious gift that life is, and appreciating every moment.

Caught Inside

I'm paddling into one of the biggest waves of my life right now. A huge wave which looks to "close-out" a 13 year marriage relationship. Its definitely one of those times when there is no where to run, no where to hide.

My body and mind race with the same intensity and emotion that arises when a big wave sneaks up on you. You know there's nothing to do but take it on the head, and just surrender to "what is." But while you await your fate, your head just keeps searching for ways to try to escape. The wait fortunately is not long. Mercy is swift, and more often than not, the fear and panic that arises is far worse than the actual experience.

As unusual as it sounds, I've been training for this moment, conditioning myself to be able to "let go" of that which I so unthinkingly cling to tightly. My identity is so intertwined with this relationship. It has been something very real, a deeply transformative journey, but is this the end?

Nothing else to do but take a deep breath, dive as deep as I can and relax into the turbulance and appreciate the power and violent awakening that spells the death of one cycle of wave energy, while opening the way for a new "life surfing" experience.

Kelly Slater: A Great Surfer, A Great Human Being

I read a interesting Interview with Kelly Slater at SurferMag.com this morning.
http://surfermag.com/magazine/archivedissues/kelly-slater-profile-surfer-magazine/index.html

The guy is just captivating because he embodies Greatness, the commitment to living in full alignment with your gifts and talents as a human being... that is what certainly draws us to athletes and entertainers like Kelly Slater, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Ali, Marley, Hendrix dare I say Oprah! They "show up" on their respective stages, completely vulnerable to whatever happens in that moment. They have prepared so completely and are so determined and focused to be the best they can be that it tips the scales in their favor. Guys like Kelly know themselves better than most of us dare try. They know their edge, that ultimately there are no limits other than those we impose upon ourselves, so constantly re-inventing, re-envisioning what is possible and stepping out onto the stage to see what happens may be human being-ness at its highest.

The ironic thing is that Power is neutral. Being fully committed to manifesting a vision or goal is extremely potent, almost seductive. History is riddled with individuals have done great and horrible things because of their commitment to as Ghandi said, "Be the change you want to be." Power responds to intention and commitment independent of ideology or morality. Collective consciousness follows the grooves formed in possibility, just as water follows its descending and eroded path to the sea. Just because you can do something, doesn't always mean you should. Our charge is to follow our sense of highest right, knowing at some level that the individual and collective are not ultimately in at odds and ever-revising stories and retro-fitting our foundations as we journey on.

Life looks different from the water...

O. H. Mowrer, the patriarch of bio-feedback, found something very telling about human beings ability to change behavior patterns...

It is easier to act yourself into a better way of feeling than to feel yourself into a better way of action.

In western culture surfing has typically been a counter-culture phenomenon celebrated by those from a small tribe apart. Stepping off solid ground into the vast ocean, where our dominance immediately evaporates, "makes sense" to very few. For some reason surfers desire to duck, dive and dance with the final breath of wind-born energy that has traveled thousands of miles to birth a wave, before exhaling its last vital energy upon shore. Whether they realize it or not, surfing centers them in their authentic self, grounds them in the moment, affording them the opportunity to experience over and over again what it feels like to be fully engaged in the now. To do that with skill, grace and joy is a thing of beauty, and enables one to be more engaged in all aspects of your life. And that is what IT is all about...