Message from Viv, August 7th, 2016, 8:51am
How about once a week, at least, we write each other 3 words that have been a theme for the week…
The week can start today.
Message to Viv, 8:52am
No toilet! Twelve! Toe!
Saleem, is one of the kite instructors at Kashiba Kite, and perhaps one of the first local Zanzibarians to teach kite-surfing. He has been coaching me on how to seamlessly turn my kite from one side to the other. His words have become my spiritual mantra. “No toilet!” “Twelve!” “Toe!”
No toilet!
I stand in the toilet position too long, so I sink into the water before I can change the direction of the kite. My legs bend outward, my shoulders cower, and my rear-end faint-heartedly prepares for impact. This translates to Life Lesson #1. When scared, don’t we want to shit ourselves? Isn’t our natural reaction to recoil? Instead, we should be strong, and remember that we are able. We can’t own success if we at first concede. From the shore, Saleem yells out at me, “No toilet!” And this reminds me to be confident. To rely on all the knowledge and skill I know that I’ve obtained. So believe in myself!
Twelve!
It’s the kite position I need to return to in order to switch direction. The kite must go back to the starting position. Life Lesson #2. When changing paths, we struggle at times and need to restart and start again. We forget that every new venture must start somewhere because it is new, fresh, and untried. The experienced and spoiled human part of us wants everything to be easy, to flow from jump. But resiliency demands we buck up and go back to START.
Toe!
My body follows my toe. I forget to position myself in such a way that allows me to glide in the direction I want to proceed. So, instead I get dragged by the kite like fish on a line. Pointing my toe means that my body is ready to seize what’s to come. My toe tells my body to be ready to motion out of start and into the wind. Lesson #3. Intention achieves nothing without action. Move! Move! Move in the direction you want to go. Don’t just talk about it. Get that ass red’ to go!