I love gazing over the ocean, watching the everlasting dance of waves, coming and going. It really fascinates me, just like I never get bored of staring at the horizon, my mind wandering into the vastness of the ocean. Now and again my attention is drawn to a sailboat passing in the distance or to seagulls that are just bobbing around. And then, at the end of the day, the setting sun paints amazing colours in the sky and leaves a trail of golden light on the rippling water. Leaving me in awe and wonder.

It’s days like this that made me realise how much we can learn from the ocean, what it reflects to us. And several reasons came to my mind why we can even see oceans as a mirror of life.

1. Life moves as the ocean

Life is in constant motion, like the waves of the ocean endlessly come and go. And like waves can be rough or more gentle, life also brings its highs and lows. Days can be challenging, or more joyful and bright. But no matter how you feel or what you experience, any moment will pass. Life flows. It moves as the waves, as the tides, and when we flow with it, we are dancing with life.

2. Beneath the surface

When gazing over the ocean, there is so much to see. And still there is a whole world that stays hidden from the eye. The world beneath the surface.

The underwater world

A world of silence, colours, life. So gorgeous. I fell in love with it immediately when I was snorkelling in the ocean for the very first time. Sunbeams broke through the surface and lightened the water. I saw a lot of fishes, many yellow ones, coral reefs, a sea turtle. A marvellous world, so peaceful and serene, it was just magical. Being there, surrounded by so much beauty and serenity, brought warm fuzzies to my heart. And being fully embraced by the water, I felt being part of the ocean, connected with it.

An inner expedition

Just like we can dive into the ocean to explore what’s beneath the surface, we can go on an inner expedition to explore our inner world.

Your inner world

There’s a whole world within you, ready to be discovered, unravelled. It’s always there, like the magical underwater world in the oceans. And you can dive into it. Anytime, anywhere. It’s ready to support you, to guide you, to surprise you.

Diving into yourself

Oceans invite us to go on an inner journey; to look below the surface, to dive deep into ourselves, beyond our thoughts, feelings or beliefs. And to listen to the whispers of our heart.

You might discover that some gifts of the ocean also reside within you. Peace, serenity, a vastness as in the ocean. They are at hand. Or maybe you find some insights or answers, courage or faith. Maybe it’s love that you find or the magic within.

There are treasures in your inner world. And you will find them, when you dive beneath the surface, below the waves of your life, and become the ocean.

‘You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the ocean in an entire drop.’ ~ Rumi

3. Oneness

All oceans, all waters, are connected. They are one. Oceans also connect countries and continents, beyond borders. They surround land by embracing it, regardless of its residents, their skin colour, religion, gender, or language, for example.
They show us oneness and invite us to see our equalities rather than our differences, reminding us that we are also one, just like the oceans and all waters, and that we are part of something bigger than us.

4. All life is interconnected

All life is interconnected. We are connected with each other, with nature, with the planet. We are part of a web of life. And because of this interconnectedness, our behaviour impacts others as well as the environment.

Think of a bottle that’s been thrown into the ocean. Carried away by the waves, it’s popping up somewhere else, at another shore, maybe even in another country. Similarly, our actions and the choices we make, reach beyond our own lives. They impact the lives of others too, as well as the environment. It’s a ripple effect we have to become aware of and take into account.

Oceans show us that we don’t, nowadays. Confronting us with all waste, plastic, chemicals and other trash we have been dumping into seas and oceans, they mirror to us that we behave like we are separated from each other as well as from nature.

We are part of nature. Therefore, by taking care of nature, we are also taking care of ourselves. Our health is interconnected with the health of our Planet. Only when we open our eyes to this, we will see how precious the Earth is and behave accordingly.