Shifting Perspective / Shifting State

Me bodyboarding on Playa Guiones

During a recent surf session, as the lineup got more crowded and the number of waves decreased, I noticed myself becoming territorial of my space, competitive for waves, and somewhat agitated. As my frustration levels went up, my performance went down; I was missing waves and wiping out and getting even more frustrated.

As I become aware of my state and how it was negatively affecting me, I was able to shift it to one of acceptance. And why not choose acceptance? I was healthy and playing in the warm ocean in a beautiful tropical setting. With acceptance, I stopped worrying about the people around me. I waited patiently, enjoying my surroundings, for waves to come to me instead of trying to force my self onto waves. I started to find flow, my performance increased, I was catching more waves. In short, being aware of and then shifting my state changed my experience.

There's always another perspective available to us if we choose.