Sunday, September 2, 2012

I Lived


Me, Malvin and Mei Hui after we completed our final dive to complete our Open Water Diving Certificate!

***

I think sometimes we really surprise ourselves by how much we can do if we'd just let ourselves try a little bit harder.

Before I went diving, I really thought it would be easy for me since I love swimming and like to think that I could live underwater. But I really struggled with a lot of aspects of diving, and felt so frustrated that I woke up every morning being tempted to give up and just not finish it. Just never dive again.

But I'm glad I didn't...because I would've missed one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. And the dives I didn't want to go for - the real dives in the deep water - and all the aspects of diving that I thought would be too difficult [doing a back flip out of the boat into the sea] were the ones that were easiest for me.

But I really realised that I run away from too many things. Someone's too difficult to connect to? Just stop connecting altogether. Don't wanna push myself out of my comfort zone? Just keep saying no. Don't wanna look stupid and embarrassed? Just not live. Just hide in my cave. Just stay silent.

But those few days when I felt so many aches in my body...that was when I truly lived. When I pushed my body beyond its physical limits only to find that it can do so much more. When I pushed beyond my fears and realised that they were really quite irrational.

And I discovered that living your life to the fullest is worth it. And that it is okay, absolutely okay, to take it slow on your way there. There were so many times I wanted to rush the learning process, and ended up getting held back. And my instructor would be sitting in front of me, asking me to calm down and try again.

And I did it.

A lot slower than everyone else, but I did it in the end.

I lived!

And it's a pretty amazing feeling to be alive!



No comments:

Post a Comment