I had the weight of insecurities and fears, all I had to do was sink beneath the surface and I was free.
Facing any challenging experience that is way outside one’s comfort zone inevitably brings with it numerous life lessons. Needless to mention, this experience taught me a lot about myself and my fears, and I write this post to share a part of this with you, in case it benefits anyone else out there.
What on earth does a person need the most after a nightmarish and stressful year? Well, a vacation, obviously! My soul was craving for one. A destination to go and relax in, far away from all the stresses of work life. I started looking for places to visit and settled for this beautiful paradise in the middle of Bay of Bengal, named the Andaman.
The eye candy, jaw-dropping pictures of scenic beauty and white-sand beaches that I saw online sealed my decision. Way before touching down at the Port Blair airport, the view from up above charmed us. Those lush green trees, clean turquoise water, and a small island visible from far like an oasis; It had a rustic international charm.
It was my first-time scuba diving experience, and I had fair knowledge on how to swim. (However, you don’t need prior swimming knowledge) We reached Havelock Island and immediately headed to the scuba diving centre, where we filled out forms, changed into our costume and went for training. Training took around 15 minutes where they taught us sign language and how to clear our nose, ears and mouth in case the water went inside. Both my friend and I had individual divers assigned to us and it was time to dive underwater and discover what lay beneath the water surface.
Words are not enough to describe that serene feeling you get when surrounded by colourful marine life under the water, the only sound you hear is from your breathing. I was completely awe struck. Despite random panics, there was no denying how much I enjoyed witnessing the vibrant masses of reefs and schools of fish swimming around. The life underwater is huge, vast and breathtakingly astonishing.
I accepted that at the end of the day, it was a mind game, and if I could train my mind to overcome my fear, I would be able to get through this. Here are some learnings I gathered from my first dive.
Adopt, evolve, enjoy!
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
– Bruce Lee
You’re the CEO of your own life
And if you believe you can do something, that’s all that matters, and that’s enough to get you to your destination- sooner or later. What’s the rush anyway?
Take that leap of faith
After a point, you just need to accept and take that leap of faith and jump into it head-on. If you win, it’s worth rewarding yourself, and even if you don’t, celebrate yourself hat you had the courage to give it a chance. Remember, the journey is more important than the destination.
– Travel tale shared by Aditi Gupta
