The ocean is like life. It stretches in all directions to touch the horizons.
by Valerie Fink Sierra —
Imagine sitting on the balcony of a luxury cruise ship, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There is simply the ocean, the sky, clouds and sunshine — no land in sight. The ship is sailing at about nine nautical miles, or 21 miles per hour, somewhere near St. Kitts, heading south toward San Salvadore. As you sit pondering life, imagine past sailors out at sea. Perhaps those not on a luxury vacation but on a naval ship or transport ship, centuries ago.
The connection between then and now is not the luxury of a cruise vacation; it is the act of sailing at sea that links the spirits of previous seaworthy souls with today’s. How must it have been for the armed forces or immigrants being out to sea for days, weeks, even months on end?
There is a certain peace one feels on the ocean — a tranquility that surrounds you as the sun glows upon your face, the wind ruffles your hair and the sea mist gently sprays your skin. Although the differences between vacationing and being on a battleship are stark, the ocean knows not of the battles, as it is the person upon the vessel whom the ocean befriends.
The ocean herself offers vast blue waters that seemingly touch the sky in all directions. Sometimes the waters are far from calm and other times, the waters roll in giant swells, crashing into one another and rocking any vessel that may be on it. And when the storming tirades of wind, rain and waves recede, the ocean returns to a peaceful blue tranquility.
The ocean is like life. It stretches in all directions to touch the horizons. Life, like the ocean, is sometimes challenged by stormy days, weeks or months, but remarkably always returns to peace.
We are like the sea: at all times connected to the earth, unlike the wind that blows above — here one moment gone the next — or the clouds, destined to existence by the surrounding air and atmosphere. No, the ocean is forever, like one’s soul.
Within the unseen depths lie many secrets, mysteries and treasures, some to be discovered, others to remain unknown as we “sail” through life, encountering and surviving storms, giving life and touching many shores around us.
As life happens, it is our core being that will always be like the ocean: forever blue, forever there, connected to the sky by a horizon, darkened by a storm, brightened by the glittering of the sun, shadowed by a cloud, or set free by clear blue skies, and freshened by the mist in the wind.
Valerie Fink Sierra is a certified life coach specializing in island retreats for women. A published writer and public speaker, she holds a master of arts in human resources, as well as a bachelor of arts in Communication. 602-703-4863, www.bejoyfulnow.com or [email protected].
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 2, Apr/May 2009.
March 5, 2012
Life Coaching, Metaphysical, Self-improvement, Travel