The ocean is my best friend, and no, that is not an exaggeration. My home, my friends, my family and my most cherished memories have all happened ocean-side. Life as I knew it took a drastic change when I moved to my small resort town, and I've never looked back. The happiest I've ever been is by the ocean, and nothing will ever change that. When I was eight years old and living outside Baltimore city, I broke down when I found out we were leaving. Moving three hours away to Ocean City seemed like light years away and I thought I would never be happy again (keep in mind, I was eight ...) Flash forward eleven years and I could not be more grateful to my parents for giving me the privilege of growing up by the ocean.
Living by the ocean shaped me in ways I didn't even realize until recently. Ocean City has been my companion, confidant, and safe haven. So many of the valuable lessons I learned and the traits I developed, I got from the ocean. Here are my three most important ones...
1. Adapting to change
Learning to welcome change is so important for us all to learn and practice in our daily lives. This is something I still struggle with from time to time (I'm only human, after all), but living by the ocean taught me the importance of flexibility. Change is inevitable. Life is always changing, ebbing and flowing like ocean tides - and it sure as hell won't stop for you. Our best option is to enjoy the ride. As cliche as that might sound, it's true! Embracing change will make you more prepared and happy in your life. What's the point of fighting against the tide? It's going to pull you in eventually.
2. Living for the present
Each moment of our lives is precious and beautiful, even if it's hard for us to see it. Living a fast-paced and rushed lifestyle can swallow a person whole and the value of small moments can disappear. Living in hustle and bustle is fine, but unless we make time to appreciate the present, we will never live truly fulfilled lives. Growing up minutes away from the expanse of pure ocean, sunlight, and smooth sand gradually taught me the importance of living for each individual moment, no matter how big or small it may seem. Be grateful. Be thoughtful. Life is a great gift.
3. Connecting with your spirituality
Living ocean-side not only makes you grateful for your home, but it creates this feeling of immense awe and wonder at how simplistic and beautiful life can be. A lot of that comes from perception and attitude. Life by the ocean leads to a spiritual life full of positivity and wonder. Your view of the world is more hopeful when you're able to listen to calming waves and feel warm, pale sunlight on your face. Growing up by the ocean has taught me to exude positivity in my everyday life. When you're sitting on the sand, there's a sense of calm that comes over you and puts problems and worries in perspective. Troubles seem small when they're compared to the seemingly endless ocean. Life is too precious to waste on negativity and worry.
The lessons I learned from living ocean-side will stay with me forever - I just can't seem to escape the tide.
