It's a show that must go on – day and night, all year long. No reservations needed. No tickets to purchase. No schedules to keep. This endless concert invites us to bring our own front row seat and sit awhile. It's a performance that may resonate to the core and change us forever.
Where is this show?
It's all along the SLO coast, that's where. So make yourself comfortable. Watch the waves as they leisurely approach the shore in a fluid composition of soft peaks that crest and tumble. As they curl over themselves they are pianist fingers that lift, fall, and progress hand-over-hand from one end of the pebbly keyboard to the other. Pay attention long enough and we become engulfed in swells of emotion. So powerful a feeling - it has the potential to awaken humility.
The occasional accompaniment of a seagull's screech, a harbor seal's bark, and an otter's tap, tap, tap of stones on shells are sound effects that miraculously manage to harmonize with the environment. Lulled by the enormity of the stage before us, we often begin to recognize our own wave properties. And then we may come to realize, all life has wave properties. Allow me to repeat that – all life has wave properties. It is, at the very least, what we have in common with everyone and everything.
Waves possess the power to progressively and constructively transfer energy. When we acknowledge, accept and appreciate our commonality with all life, we begin to practice humility. Awareness, in and of itself, is humbling as we resolve to advance our humanity.
What is humility? Humility is the relinquishment of our energy consuming and exhaustingly competitive ego orientation, in favor of a point of reference that is compassionate, considerate, and kind. If we can venture beyond our egos experience – that of an arrogant attitude and agenda, as well as judgment, superiority, and entitlement - we may commence to perceive the rest of the world, and ourselves, with wonder and respect, rather than hatred and/or hostility.
The power of waves can contribute to and support the exploration of consciousness. Beyond the ego's experience is the search for meaning. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Well, that is THE question, isn't it? Each of us must decide for ourselves what it's all about. Ask me and I'd say life is all about advancement of our humanity and spirituality. It is the daily challenge of interacting with people and everything else in our environment – especially that which tends to aggravate our ego – yet choosing patience and kindness that contributes to progress. Our level of consciousness is not fixed. It is possible to ascend from an angry level to a peaceful one.
Egotism hinders human evolution, humility advances it.
Transcend the ego's limitations and we have opportunity to perceive the environment, and everything in it, with awe and maybe even applause.
Revere and respect life in all of its expressions. We on the SLO coast have an ongoing invitation to sit in the sand, watch the waves, and contemplate that for awhile.
Peace.
