Some reflections on the ocean

Because I'm a very lucky man, I'm sitting on our balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean as I write this.  It's an 80 degree, partly cloudy day with a nice breeze coming in off the ocean.Earlier this morning, I took my 2.5 mile walk up and down the beach... partly for some exercise, but also for a bit of walking meditation, some conversation with the ocean (Universe, God, whomever it is, I talk to in those moments.)You see, big water, whether it's Lake Michigan close to home, or one of the oceans, has a tendency to take my breath away.  I am in awe of the beauty, the power and the lessons that are seemingly contained there.  If fact, it would not be at all an overstatement for me to say that I NEVER feel closer to SOURCE than I do with my feet in the sand while the waves wash over me.I stopped at one point today, and stood facing the ocean.  I stretched out my arms to open my heart and to take in all that was in front of me.As I scanned the horizon, I said outloud... "you are so beautiful!" and heard "and so are you!"  then I said "You are so incredibly powerful!" and heard "and so are you!"The realization that like everything that presents to me in my life is a mirror, showing me what I like and don't like about myself, reflecting back to me who I am and where I am in any moment floated in, and I was in awe.So as I walked along, my thoughts flitted around a bit, like the little birds that were dodging the waves while trying to grab whatever goodies the surf had delivered.But mostly, they were thoughts of the aspects of the ocean, the aspects of the world we live in, and the parallels to my life.Here are some of the thoughts that floated through and likely some questions that those thoughts raised.The ocean is BEing what it was created to BE.The ocean goes with the flow.  It does not appear to be trying to be anything other than what it is.The surface might appear to be very calm, or slightly agitated, or incredibly churned up, but that is only the surface.While I cannot be positive, I would bet that under the surface, regardless of what the surface is showing me, there are incredible currents and perhaps even larger power than the surface waves generate.Also under that surface is an infinite amount of life.  plants are growing and all manner of sea creatures are living and dying, trying to not be consumed by the larger, hungrier sea creatures.And if the message I believe I received about all of that being a reflection of who I really am... I may need to take a slightly different view of what I see when I look in the mirror.So, the questions that rose up were things like...How would my outcomes be different, if, rather than seeing myself as small and unimportant, I saw myself as majestic and powerful?And If I were able to ALLOW myself to just BE who I was created to be, what would be different?And what would I be DOING as that highest version of myself?And what would I not be doing, that I currently do?If I continue the image of all of the life swirling and swimming below the surface of the ocean, what sort of energy and life is swimming within me?  What can I do to make certain that it is an incredibly healthy environment for that energy and life to be of the highest possible  quality?With each step I took, I realized that the grains of sand, shifted to absolutely conform to the shape of my foot.  That every molecule of my foot was completely and totally supported.  That every step of my journey has the full support of the Universe.This is an image that I use with clients every week.  But to experience it in real time, with real sand was beautiful and compelling.So my point in sharing these thoughts today is as a reminder to myself, that the only limits I have are self-imposed.  That there is enormous power when I get out of the way and live as the being I was created to be.If it's true for me, I would suggest that it is also equally true for you.So as I continue to walk.. I will attempt to hold the image of the ocean (whether I'm right here beside it, or back at home).. and remember that every step is fully supported, and that when I stop striving to be better, when stop delaying my joy until some artificial goal is met, when I just walk and talk, and live and love and laugh and cry as the man that I am, everything else will as if by magic fall beautifully into place.I wish no less than that for you!Blessings!