Hey legend,
Happy World Oceans Day to you!
As you may have guessed by my love of the word ‘frothing’, I am just a tad bit into the ocean. Surfing, diving, fishing – whatever. If it involves the water, I’m on board (can you handle that pun?!).
Without sounding too wanky, I reckon that some of my biggest lessons about life and success have come through time spent in the water.
And there’s one lesson that has served me time and time again.
It happened the day, not long after I got out of hospital, that I went for my first swim back at the beach. I’d spent months dreaming about this moment, but when the time came, I was scared. I was in my full body compression suit, the water was FREEZING and even just walking on the sand was a challenge.
And then, right as I was wading out, a bigger wave broke and knocked me right over – legs flailing over my head. I came up covered in sand and water, looking like a drowned rat in a wetsuit and I remember having to make this decision:
Did I give up, walk back out and leave the beach in my past, or did I get up and get straight back out there?
As it happened, I didn’t have time to decide before another wave came promptly crashing down, knocking me straight back under again. Needless to say, drowned little Turia wasn’t too impressed but with Michael’s help, I got to my feet and…. got dumped about six more times, haha!
It wasn’t funny at the time, in fact it was one of the crappiest days in my recovery, but it is pretty funny looking back, and more than that – I think that day was a pretty amazing lesson.
Because, that’s kind of just like life, right?
You know, things aren’t always gonna turn out the way we imagined, sometimes you’re going to feel scared and sometimes you’re gonna get dumped. Life isn’t always gonna be sunshine and happiness. Just like we have great days, there are gonna be shitty days too.
But here’s the cool part:
While you can’t always control what happens to you, you get to decide how you’re gonna respond. – Tweet it!
So, are you gonna curl up, or step up? That’s your decision.
And on the days when you just keep getting dumped? Well, there’s always tomorrow.
Until next time,
T x
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Dear Turia,
I’ve just spent the last few days reading your book and reading about your journey! I am absolutely wow-ed by your story. I think what has amazed me the most, is not the wonderful, amazing physical things you have accomplished before and more so after the fire (though I these are beyond amazing!) but it is how you have maintained a pure, sweet spirit despite what life has thrown at you. I think that has challenged me the most – that in the midst of unimaginable difficult times, you have come out of it stronger, and with a generous, grateful sweet spirit. I pray that whatever life throws at me I will remember your journey. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, I am a christian, and I want you to know, for what it’s worth, that I have prayed for you and pray that God’s best is still ahead of you!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Nicole