A year in the blue
I spent much of this past year floating on the Pacific Ocean and studying its stunning shades. My friend Alexandra and I started an Ocean Appreciation Club. An Olympic swimmer gave me swimming lessons in the Coral Triangle. I dove into 11,000 meters of water above the deepest known part of the Earth’s seabed. I listened to personal stories of ocean connection in Taiwan, Hawai’i, Aotearoa and communities in between. Still, I cannot fathom the size of this ocean.
This year also brought big changes in my home life and my work. We’ve all had these periods. Big changes can re-wire us, and I’ve been focusing on these things:
- Surprise. Life changes reorganize our worlds and the unexpected people who come towards us during these times are a source of joy.
- Rest. Quiet time is healing. There’s no need to explain how much we need, when, or why.
- Balanced thinking. I came to rely on the deliberate practice of “taking in the good” and generating appreciation. Some days it was dead simple: I have fluffy socks, this apple is very crisp, I saw a flying fish.
