There is a familiar struggle in the human experience—one that shows up as a quiet unease, a sense that we must do something to change, fix, or overcome the moments that seem uncomfortable. When emotions stir, or awkwardness fills a room, we often find ourselves pulled into an internal storm. Thoughts rush in, trying to make sense of it all, to protect, defend, or react. We might ask ourselves: “Why can’t I just be at ease?” But perhaps there’s a different question we can explore: What if the key isn’t to control the waves but to understand the ocean itself?
We are like children standing at the shore, mesmerized by the play of waves. Some waves are gentle, some are fierce, but they all rise and fall in their own time. Our thoughts and emotions are like these waves—patterns that dance on the vast ocean of our awareness. Yet, often, we mistake ourselves for the waves. We believe we are the turbulence, the crashing, the froth. And so, we try to calm the sea by pushing against the waves, not realizing that true calm lies in knowing the sea beneath.
The Trouble with Acceptance
When we find ourselves troubled by a thought or emotion, what is it that truly troubles us? Is it the thought itself, or is it our reaction to it? Perhaps it’s the fear of being pulled under by these waves, of losing our footing in the sand. The moment we see a thought as an enemy or an intruder, we set up a conflict that disturbs the calm we seek.
Imagine a moment of awkwardness—someone throws out a sharp word, or emotions are flung around like stones skipping on the surface of a lake. If we stand firm in our idea of self, feeling we must defend or react, we get caught up in the ripples. But if we see this moment as simply another wave, not different from any other, what changes?
The calm on which the waves flow is always there. It doesn’t need to be remembered or held—it simply is. And in the same way, our awareness, the essence of what we are, is always present. This is the part of us that sees the waves but is not disturbed by them. This is the part that knows that no matter how high the wave rises, it will always return to the ocean.
Letting Thoughts Be What They Are
It’s common to think of thoughts as problems to be solved, enemies to be vanquished, or clouds that obscure the sun. But what if, instead of pushing them away or battling them, we welcomed them as part of our dance? What if we saw them not as invaders but as natural expressions of the ocean’s movement?
When a thought arises, rather than labeling it as “good” or “bad,” we can simply notice it, allowing it to be what it is without needing to hold onto it or push it away. This simple act of noticing—without judgment or attachment—creates a space of freedom. In that space, we realize that thoughts are not separate from the inner child that we are. They are part of the same dance, and they flow in and out, just like the waves.
The Pointer to Freedom
When we understand this, we see that there is no “I” that needs to fix or manage anything. The thoughts that say “I must do this” or “I should feel that” are just waves, patterns in the ocean. They have no power except the power we give them by believing they are the entirety of what we are.
What remains when we let go of the belief that we must control or resist? There is simply what is—a feeling of being alive, of witnessing the dance of existence. This feeling isn’t something to achieve or grasp; it’s always here, like the ocean beneath the waves.
Stories, Metaphors, and Realizations
Words are limited, but they can point us to a deeper understanding. Imagine a story where a child stands by the shore, marveling at the waves. At first, the child tries to stop the waves, fearing the unknown depths they represent. But with time, the child realizes that the waves are just the ocean playing. The waves do not disturb the ocean; they are simply expressions of it. The child then begins to dance, moving with the rhythm of the waves, no longer trying to stop them but flowing with them.
Could this story help us remember the truth of our own experience? That life is not about controlling the waves, but about understanding the ocean that we are, seeing that all waves are just expressions of the same vastness? Perhaps this is what the inner child in each of us has always known—that there is nothing to fix, only life to explore with open, curious eyes.
An Invitation to Explore
Take a moment now, wherever you are, to simply notice. Notice the thoughts that come and go, the sensations in your body, the sounds around you. Without trying to change anything, just observe. Notice how the waves rise and fall, and see if you can sense the stillness beneath it all—the quiet presence that is always here.
This is not something to attain or hold. It is simply what is. And perhaps, in seeing this, we find the peace we have been searching for was never separate from us. It was here, all along, as the backdrop to every moment, every wave, every thought.
Closing Thoughts
The path to peace is not about escaping the dance of thoughts but embracing it as part of the natural flow of existence. There’s no need to fight the waves or even calm them—just remember that you are the ocean, vast and untouched by the surface play. May this reminder guide you back to your true self, the inner child who knows only how to explore, be, and love the beautiful world it finds itself in.
