However, this type of "life-surfing" is not performed upon ocean waves, but atop the waves of the universe, which unfold with you in rhythmic cycles of up and down, rising and falling, circularity. Some waves lift you up into massive seemingly insurmountable problems and pains, while others lift you up to incredible joy and pleasures. Nevertheless, whether perceived as good or bad, all waves must eventually fall, only to rise again with some other experience, either dreaded or desired.
This is how the universe works. This is how you know and experience your "self" from day to day. The self that inhabits a body ("you") rides the waves within consciousness, whether it wants to or not. You could seek to disengage from the surfing. But who's to say the surfing does not continue in some other form? Death may be only another round of splendidly magnificent waves.
Although you may seek to disengage from the surf, you cannot disengage the universe and the universe is the "ocean" that keeps you afloat. Think of the ocean as your consciousness. Without it, nothing could be experienced.
Within consciousness, you perceive experiences as either good and bad, right and wrong and it is this which causes problems and pleasures to arise and fall. Sometimes the waves are barely perceptible like boredom or brief laughter. Other times they are massive and tumultuous like a severe illness or a new love affair.
Your preferences, values and meanings determine how well you surf each and every wave through which your life is experienced. If you had no preferences, no values, and life was devoid of all meaning, there would be no waves to lift you up and set you down. There would be no experiences of fear and anguish, but nor would there be joy or even love.
Hence, the universe will always provide you waves. How well you ride the waves is up to you.
The expert "Life-Surfer" has become fearless in recognizing that how he/she perceives the waves determines how well he/she surfs, because the waves never end. The expert surfer is not trying to control the board, but to balance himself adequately so as to remain IN the experience and not to drown. The expert rides every wave, never knowing exactly how high it will go and what new wave will form from the old one's wake.
Learn to become an expert "Life-Surfer" and you will see patterns that before were not perceptible to you, because of your expectations of what the waves should bring.
The waves bring what they bring and you have no control over that. What you can control is how well you ride.
The universe of conscious experience will unfold as it will, and always has, and there is little you can do but ride the unfolding waves as they lift you up and set you down only to lift you up once again.
The expert surfer learns to engage every wave completely without fear.
Artwork by Melody Owens - "Dolphin's Surf"
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