Calm in the Storm

Do you ever wish you felt greater control in the face of something new? Or something you feared?

Jim had long-wanted for us to windsurf together. He was an experienced windsurfer. Yet it looked scary to me: Just you, a board and a sail racing across the water? But I wanted to try it.

So we decided to practice in the park: on dry land, to start.

A day Jim and I planned to go he texted me from work:

“Nature is not always kind. There are gusts to 30. I can’t sail on 30 when we’re on the water! It could be out of control.”

“Do you think we should still go?” I asked.

“Yes, we WILL go. It’s beautiful out. I don’t want you to be afraid of windy conditions or let them intimidate you. Being on the water will be easier in some ways and harder in some, but getting your shkrapps back is a strong first step.”

“Shkrapps” was a nickname Jim had given me when I was recovering from my elbow surgery. Nights he would stretch my arm, guided by the physical therapist’s direction, to a point of pain where I’d feel tears well in my eyes: and ask him to keep going.

Now I was going to apply that same spirit to this new sport. That was the hope, at least.

When we set up our gear, I felt confident.

Yet when I stepped onto the board in 30 mph gusts, the sail felt “squirrely,” “twitchy,” as Jim said. Waving wildly in the wind. These were gusts that had spilled over the mountains, sought to settle on the desert floor among tall trees. Not lovely, stable trade winds we dreamed of having on Caribbean waters.

The wind buffeted me, often pulling me off the board, so that, in real conditions, I would have fallen in the water, the sail falling on top of me.

Then I felt presence for a few moments: The mast in my left hand, arms straight, leaning back, the wind, fickle, switching directions in an instant. I held it and let my hand roll, inviting the wind to guide it, flip and turn, as if dancing together in the air. I felt a strong calm come over me. Stillness. Ease.

This was the turning point in my lessons from Jim. It was the first time he said, “You’re going to do great at this.” And I believed I could.

This is the power of presence, which we can apply to any situation in our lives; converting struggle and challenge to greater ease.

3 suggestions to sustain this path to presence:

1. Start with your hands. As Kim Eng, Eckhart Tolle’s teaching partner, offers: How do you know that you have hands? Begin with this sensation to get out of your mind and into your body: to become present.
2. Stand still. Like an oak tree in a storm. Weather is unpredictable, like our lives. How can you stand still, calm in the storm? Focus on an inner stillness to begin.
3. Sustain this state. It only takes a few seconds to “hook in” to presence. Those few seconds can make all the difference. The challenge comes in sustaining it so presence becomes a constant in our lives. This is the journey you have embarked on; that we are taking together. So that we find, and foster, the “magic” that can come from mindfulness in our everyday lives.

We talk about turning challenge or struggle into greater ease. I would love to know, what if you had learned coping skills as a kid? Would it have made a difference in your life if this had been taught in school?

Say “Yes” in the comments here if you agree.

And anything else you’d like to share? Feel free to post it here. The conversation has begun! Your comments offline and on have been great. Thank you so much for joining this journey. We march together.

~Jillian

Jillian Robinson is on a mission! To have personal development taught as commonly as math and science. If there’s anything Jillian can do with your organization or if you or your organization can aid in this mission, please email Jillian@JillianRobinson.com.What would your life look like if personal development had been taught when you were growing up? Your life, family, school, work, relationships? It’s never too late to study! Jillian advances this mission through media production, speaking and certified high performance coaching. Thank you for being an important part of this mission!