We all know, in theory, that some perspectives are more helpful than others. If we think of failure as a way to learn instead of a reflection of our worth, we can brush it off and try again.

Before I tell you how I was brutally reminded of this fact, I have an invitation for you. Think of something that is happening in your life right now that feels challenging. We’ll circle back to that.

It Snapped!

The day before Christmas Eve, I had just paddled fifteen minutes out to the lineup. It was a beautiful day with ideal conditions. I pulled off the first two waves of the set because there were people deeper than me.

As I looked out, I saw a giant wave rising in front of me. I looked back and saw a bunch of people inside, so I knew I had to hang on to my board. The wave crashed on top of me, ripping the board out of my hands, and when I came to the surface, it was in two pieces. Without having caught a single wave, I started the long paddle to shore, dragging half my board with my toes.

Yes, I was bummed. This pink board is pretty new, and it’s been a board that has helped me make lots of progress with my nose-riding.

But here’s the thing …

Harsh Reminders

A couple of weeks before this happened, I witnessed two situations that are hard to talk about. A fellow surfer lost his life in the waves I had just been surfing in, and through very bizarre circumstances, I witnessed a fatal shark encounter from the beach.

Honestly, my stomach still hurts to think about these events, but I choose to because they remind me of the perspective that we are not guaranteed anything. We don’t know how many days we have left on this earth. It’s my intention to live as many of them as possible with a sense of adventure and purpose.

So yes, I was bummed about the surfboard, but in the bigger picture, it was just a surfboard. I was able to paddle to shore, haul my board to my car, and smile when I asked my husband to take a picture, (admittedly, the smile may be a bit of a shock response, but that’s a post for another day.)

I walked away, unbroken and without a scratch on me.

We don’t know how many days we have left on this earth. What would it mean for you to live as many of them as possible with a sense of adventure and purpose?

I hope you haven’t witnessed anything as traumatic as I did, though I imagine that you have been going through your own difficult times. I also hope you’ve had some bright spots in your life as well. I’m practicing being grateful for every one of mine.

So my question for you is, what are you going through right now that you could use some help in finding a more helpful perspective?