Note: the following is an excerpt from Mike’s latest book Sacred Lessons
A Lifelong Connection to Water
I’ve always had a special connection to the water. From an early age, I always wanted to go to the beach. I’ve always gravitated toward the cool ocean breeze and soothing sound of the waves hitting the shore. From as early as I can remember, the one place where I felt completely safe and welcome was when I was in the water.
Growing up in Ventura, California, my proximity to the beach made it easy for me to spend countless hours in or beside the water. In middle school, and later in high school, I learned to bodyboard, then skateboard, then surf. It became almost like a religion for me. I would try to go to the ocean as much as I could. And although I’ve never really been that good at surfing, it gave me a reason to go to the beach.
From that first moment on, the ocean has been my place of comfort and refuge. A place that I go to when I need clarity, or just a place for me to go to breathe and to get centered. A place where I can be my full and authentic self. And a place where I can go to heal and reflect on myself and my relationship with the world.
Lessons from Surfing
Surfing has taught me more about life than almost any other relationship I have. It’s more than just a metaphor for life, it’s a way of living. Through surfing, I have learned how to endure hardship and keep going forward no matter how tired or frustrated I am. Through surfing, I’ve been forced to get back up even when I’ve been knocked down. Through surfing, I’ve learned how to forgive, and how to let go.
While I try to go to the beach as much as I can by myself, I mostly go surfing with Ron, one of my closest colleagues and friends. And that’s the thing about life, about surfing, about healing—it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Healing happens in community.