So.... when I step back and look at things for "perspective"... I have always known that there are things in life that, quite simply, make me smile.... things that I do that help keep me "refreshed" by "cleaning the slate" sort of speak lol... daily reality/stresses can accumulate and begin to weigh me down on occasion(maybe it's just me...
).... early in my life, I found that certain "activities".... that were of sufficient intensity, had the effect of "re-booting" my brain.... AMAZING if you have not experienced it...
It seems, for me at least, that while participating in an activity "intense enough" to cause such effect, that the ABSOLUTE FOCUS required in said activity FORCES the brain to "let loose" what clutter was previously occupying "working space" haha... For only in the absolute focus that "survival instinct" requires, is the brain "forced" to divert all available resources to the task at hand.... and as a result, much "inconsequential bullchit" is thrown out... making room for more HAHA
...
... For me, hog dogging(sometimes), surfing(usually), and "freediving"(Always.... truly my first love) have always been this "escape mechanism" that allowed me to clear my mind... To the present, if I go for more than a couple weeks without some sort of "decompression" via one of these outlets... the stress manifests itself and I am none the better for it... those that have experienced these moments with me know exactly what I speak of... the resulting effect is addictive... and will leave you yerning for it for the rest of your life....
... so what do I see as "my happy thought" in this sense? I, first and foremost, enjoy.... RELISH, that moment when, in an attempt to SHARE this "feeling" with some one who has not experienced it... that "light bulb turning on" in that person's mind... when they say, "NOW I understand why you do what you do..."
I have been training a friend in the skills of deep freedive spearfishing for about the last 10 years... although he has always "enjoyed it", I knew he had not yet reached that "enlightened moment" that brings true meaning... It was a beautiful day... myself, him, and his brother were hovering above an "unknown" wreck a charter captain friend of mine had given me in about 65' of dark, blue water... When we eased into the clear, warm water, the dark outline of the wreck was just barely visible from the surface... Clouds of baitfish swirled around us, as large fish zipped in and out, feeding and fleeing from even bigger fish.... by the end of the dive, we had fought off sharks, and several 500# goliath grouper that tried to drag me to the bottom... and in this one, quiet moment... this friend lifted his gaze to me while we drifted above the wreck... as our eyes met, I instantly knew that he finally "got it"... just one of those moments you never forget.
I enjoy teaching people to enjoy these amazing, breathtaking, wonderful things that make life worth living... these same "extreme" adventures also help show each person for who they really are.... Intense moments in life bring out the "real" factor in man and animal... Intense moments help build bonds that last a lifetime... they separate the wheat from the chaff...
... I have been thinking about what my constant "happy thought" is, and, without doubt... it is free diving... (scuba diving without tanks/breath hold diving for those of you that do not know...) ... Nothing I have experienced is as intense, requires as much focus, is as rewarding as this.... and it is something I TREMENDOUSLY enjoy teaching others.... the ocean is infinite, while spearfishing regulations continue to constrict... the deep blue will always be there for us... and it is something that EVERYONE can participate in...
