Written by Celine Louie
Well Hello!
What a wonderful place to meet, in this awesome magazine we call Alive!
Let me start by saying that although I am called The Wave Rider, I am in no way a pro-surfer!
No my friend, far from it. In fact I am as wobbly on a board as the next person, and I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve fallen off my board on this journey we call life.
But like all of us, when we fall off our board, we get back on. After 40 plus years of wave riding experience, it’s inevitable that I’ve learnt a thing or two about navigating the waves – as I’m sure you have too, wherever you are on your own journey!
What I have come to realise, is that when it comes to surfing this life, we are so much stronger as a collective. It’s okay to surf by ourselves at times. For some people that suits them just fine, but for many of us, having some other people around us to give us a lift out of the turbulent seas is what keeps us strong and able to keep navigating the waves that follow. Sometimes we don’t see the approaching waves and it takes a buddy out the back to holler out. Working as a team helps us be the strongest surfers we can be.
I’ve noticed that we’re all much better surfers these days. The waves got pretty big for a while there, didn’t they? Whilst things have calmed down recently, knowing how quickly the seas can rough up out of nowhere means that our guard is up more than it ever used to be, and that’s not a bad thing.
We can see the signs and choose to navigate them differently this time. We can pull off to the side and let the waves pass. At other times we can choose to face them head on. The choice is always up to us. We have the freedom to surf however we want, no matter how we’ve surfed in the past.
The biggest tip to becoming a good surfer is to know yourself. I don’t mean just knowing how we allow society to define us, but connecting with the deeper part of ourselves. The self that tells us we are worthy of following our intuition and deep knowing, regardless of how hard that might make our journey in the short term.
By listening to this deep knowing, we can make choices that are centred around total integrity and love for ourselves. Honouring ourselves is the most caring and loving thing we can do for our planet. This not only empowers us, but it shows our fellow surfers, that they too are worthy of choosing for themselves.
Together we can find the strength to boost one another out of the water and to find that warrior strength and deep centre. The place which allows us to glide down the biggest of waves with so much ease and grace, that the ripples will be felt far and wide. We may end up in a different place than we thought we were headed, but this can open us up to more beauty than we ever imagined possible.
So my friends, be sure to focus on the beauty of the ocean around you, cheer your fellow surfers on, and know that no matter what the seas around you are like at the time, you are surrounded by people who are there to help you navigate and be the best surfer you can be!
I look forward to surfing more waves with you in the next edition.