I was sitting on the beach — watching the waves rush to the surface and eventually sail back.

It was the low tide period and the waves were quiet. They would silently come to the shore, not going too far, retrace — only to strike back again. It had been hours and the waves were doing just the same.

Gradually, the energy of the waves began to increase, and now there was an uproar in their approach. They would strike the shore with the highest vigor, and their presence was much more prominent. All the lands which the waves could not touch during the low tide period had now been conquered, and all the quests had been won. It was the high tide — the tide of positivity, vigor and achievements.

As I continue to sit by the beach and do nothing but observe the waves, I cannot help but draw countless analogies between the ocean, waves and life itself.

I wonder whether our life also has low tides when nothing goes as per plan, and high tides when we don’t even need a plan — and everything turns out just fine.

I. Our life too has periods of high tides and low tides.

There are periods in our lives when everything is great — be it financial situations, career, personal life, etc. Whatever we touch turns into gold and our hard work just bears too much fruit — that we cannot even eat it all. There is abundance everywhere, and you go farthest with the minimal effort.

Then there are periods where even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. It feels as if life is just breaking apart, and maybe there is not even a single good thing happening in our life at that time. And our hard work just does not result in anything!

II. All our shortcomings surface during a low tide period.

Just like during a low tide when all the pollutants come to the surface of the beach — during a low tide period, all our short comings and vices are out in the open. These could be our unhealthy lifestyle leading to health issues, our lack of competency leading to stagnant professional career, etc.

Often at times, we are a subject of constant criticism and all that is wrong in our life is only because of ourselves and nothing else. I wonder why no one ever questioned any of this when the tide was in our favor and things were going just fine.

Often, it is during such situations that people begin to experience mental health issues, and hence it is extremely important to take good care of ourselves.

III. The tides are cyclic and so is our life!

This too shall pass!

However good or bad a situation is, it eventually goes away only to come back again at a later stage. The ups and downs are nothing but an integral part of our life — and we must know how to deal with each of these phases effectively.

Sharing below a few tips for each of us to follow during the periods of high tide and low tide respectively!

A. What to do during a High Tide period?

—Make hay while the sun shine and conserve it as much as you can. Remember, your slightest of efforts will bring you the best of results and hence it is important to capitalize on them. It can be related to anything — your personal well being, relationships, etc. Work on them to ensure you have a solid base for the rainy day.
 — Remove all the bad stuffs. Our bad stuff often gets unnoticed during the high tide period, and it is important to identify them and work on them, so that it does not bother us during a low tide.

B. What to do during a Low Tide period?

— Be persistent with your efforts and do not lose hope. However, difficult it might seem at this very moment, our efforts will eventually bear fruit when the tides turn in our favor.
 — Capitalize on all the savings from the high tide period. All the hay saved during the sunshine, it is okay to consume it, while ensuring that we put our best foot forward to rectify the adversities.

As I continue to sit by the beach and make these analogies, it is sunset already. Time for me to go back home, and write a piece of my life on Medium. I wonder what The Silent Monk will be writing today 😇.

Please share your thoughts about the article, and how do you navigate the low tides in your lives. I love to read reflections from all the readers.
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