A Surfer’s Sixth Sense
Posted in client stories hints of inspiration by on Jul 5 2011
What is the sixth sense anyway? Surfers would say it is an instinctual knowing about when a swell is about to arise. I would say it’s what makes ordinary people become extraordinary human beings…an intuition that connects people and projects to create great things.
This sixth sense is on my mind. I have traveled halfway around the globe on behalf of +H2O for planning WATER/WO/MEN 2011, an event project for Six Senses Resort & Spa, Laamu, where we will be guaranteed to explore the intersection of surfers and the sixth sense. Set on the Olhuveli Island in the Laamu Atoll, in the south of the Maldives archipelago, I felt like I was following my sixth sense as I embarked on a journey to a distant land located just off the southern tip of India.
On my final leg of the twenty-four hour plane ride, I saw the movie “Soul Surfer” about Bethany Hamilton, the girl who lost her arm in a shark attack and continued to follow her dreams despite the challenging physical setback. In a line in the movie, her dad tells her to listen to her sixth sense, and to trust it. She finds the perfect wave.
Twenty hours later, I jump in a boat and head off into the Indian Ocean toward “yin yang” (the resident master wave off the coast of Six Senses Laamu) with a handful of experienced watermen and a video camera. We are looking for footage on the swell to share with +H20 and Six Senses fans. The guys scan the sets, and jump in. They paddle and search for the perfect wave. I dive into the surrounding mini swell, taking my first swim ever in the Indian Ocean. The ocean doesn’t give us the wave we are looking for, but we tried. We convene in the boat and as the team laughs about our thwarted attempt, we make plans to go tomorrow. We have all week, after all.
The point is, following your sixth sense means you go for it. It might not turn out the way you expected, but it will always turn out for the best. It’s not about planning. It’s not about making things happen. It’s about allowing them to happen. Six Senses as a resort epitomizes that connection to self; seeking the inner knowing that will never lead you astray. It’s about letting go, giving in and rising up (in soul terms). At their resorts, they want you to feel…feel all six senses through that deep conversation. It’s about coming home.
Whatever your definition, this sixth sense is something to be listened to, to be trusted. And we all have it, it is in there. You might choose to ignore it, but it will never go away. That’s the good news. How do you (re)connect with it? Go slow. Listen. Feel. Watch for the signs. Follow your path. And take all the help you can get.
I feel blessed every day that my work with Grace Delivers aligns me with people, projects and companies that inspire creative synergy and ride the wave of intuitive connecting to make positive things happen. Six Senses is a shining example of that, and I will be sharing my experiences from on location at Six Senses Laamu this week to share some inspiration with my readers. More soon!
WATER/WO/MEN 2011, presented by Six Senses Resorts & Spas and in partnership with +H20, will unite the world’s greatest water sport icons together with marine and water conservationists in an event that raises funds and awareness for marine preservation, coral restoration and clean water and sanitation projects. Joining them at the prestigious Six Senses Resort & Spa Laamu, Maldives will be musicians, artists, celebrities, guests and media for five days of water exhibitions, clinics, eco-activities, one-on-one teaching opportunities, conservation debates, movie screenings, delicious meals and festivities. Proceeds from guest stays will benefit Plant a Fish Foundation founded by Fabien Cousteau; Water Charity founded by Averill Strasser; and Blue Marine Foundation founded by Chris Gorell Barnes.
Six Senses is a world leader in creating enlightening and nourishing luxury travel experiences that rejuvenate and refresh, focusing on the delivery of all of the beauties of clean living and the slow life to a discerning, conscious and aware customer.
+H20 is a platform for water awareness that brings together a community of athletes, conservationists, non-profits and corporations to create purposeful solutions that facilitate positive change on a local to global scale. Leveraging the visibility of professional athletes combined with a mission for the greater good, +H20 was founded by windsurfers Levi Siver, Pascal Bronnimann, Jake Miller and Keith Teboul and is based on Maui, Hawaii. The +H20 network celebrates water sports and extends inspiration for clean living practices that are in support of health, wellness and environmental balance.
