Breaking the surface

A dolphin caught in a tuna net, struggling for air, must act against instinct. Their natural propensity to surface for oxygen will only serve to ensure their entanglement in the net, to set their fate. To free themselves, they must dive deeper into the darkness, into the unknown, moving away from what they need most.

When I am able to free myself from the stagnant air my over-wrought thinking creates in the bell jar of self-pity I sometimes enclose myself in, I can follow my heart to a deeper level. It is farther from the light, unknown and even fear-inspiring, but it is where the deeper truths await discovery. It is, as I have recently experienced, where I must go in order to free myself from the entrapment of my own flawed thinking.

Once the dolphin dives into the deep, it is able to see the snare from a better perspective and can move to find free passage to the surface where life-giving oxygen and freedom await. While the deep can be intimidating, it is where I found my deepest truth. It is where I found accountability for being the creator of the net my heart was enmeshed in, and where I found the strength to reconnect with my compassion.

Surfacing for air, playing in the waves, celebrating the new-found freedom. But I know that the deep still holds many lessons . . .