A few months ago, while trying out guided snorkelling I had a life time experience. A nervous me who don’t know swimming, took the plunge (of course inspired by ZNMD :P). A few minutes of rehearsal with the snorkelling equipments, falling in water while balancing my feet inside those fins & fair share of water entering into my body, blocking my sensory organs, I finally went inside the water holding hand of my guide firmly (praying.. please god get me out later safe and sound).
What a view… plenty of flora and fauna, corals, colourful fishes, large and small pieces of rocks… It was totally mesmerising and I could relate to all the stories of the snorkelers I read before.
Aaah… You must be thinking why I am sharing just another snorkelling experience. Well! A little more story and I share why…
While snorkelling for about 5-7 minutes, the guide brought me to a point, halted for a few seconds and signalled if I was willing to go beyond. Grappling with small intakes of oxygen, feeling my each breath carefully, I looked beyond that point and was awestruck. It was way more colourful, brighter with millions of underwater creatures / fishes /corals of all size. The vibrancy of that view was beyond words. There was a catch here, when I took a closer look I realized beyond that point, it’s deeper than where we were swimming. I could suddenly feel that pit in my stomach, I was shaken. I brought myself to reality and signalled my guide let’s go back, though I couldn’t take my eyes off that scenic view. We journeyed back from that juncture to the shore with more salty water in my nose, throat and lungs and also a struggle mid-way where the guide left my hands thinking I will manage on my own and I almost drowned 😛 (Falling often and rising again comes naturally to me)
Back on the beach, with my eyes closed I was picturing my wonderful stint with water when something struck me. Just like how I avoided taking plunge in the deeper section of the sea & exploring the life inside, many a times I avoid exploring the “ME”. Looking beyond that point in water, I knew it was beautiful, more lively and exciting, but didn’t agree to move further. I had a guide too with me who would have ensured I was safe but still I didn’t step ahead… I was scared, I wasn’t willing to stretch for a while and enjoy the lovely under water creation of nature… I couldn’t penetrate the layers within the water body.
Just like the multi layered water body, we have layers within… layers of lack of belief, myriad fears, road blocks, unconstructive patterns and behaviours that are involuntarily covering our heart, mind and soul and we are letting them overpower our real “us”.
More often than not we are happy with the current state of where we are, what we are doing and what we are accomplishing. We are either so unaware of our talent or are simply turning deaf, mute and blind because it asks us to STRETCH ourselves and PIERCE through those layers within.
If at all we can dare to UNLAYER these covers to our REAL SELF…We can reach where we often visualize ourselves but never feel confident…. Really achieve those childhood dreams we painted on walls or scribbled on some slam book…take those actions which was part of some new year resolution or coffee conversations…
If at all we can dare to UNLAYER these covers, we can mend that one broken heart, nurture that one relation often itching us & further growing the scar, forget that one incident that makes us feel powerless, forgive that one person to get peace at heart…
If at all we can dare to UNLAYER these covers, we can explore many positive feelings, capabilities, sweet memories, strengths; revisit those abandoned hobbies; seek clarity and awareness to do what we are really meant to do in this life time.
