Welcome to That Bunny Bear. A collective for optimistic stoics seeking purpose in our chaos. Here’s another slice of life.
Summary
Kev dreamt of being a big powerful bear. He dreams of doing great things and being respected for them. Once he’s determined to become who he dreams of, he decides to go surfing to get a better understanding of life. The ocean is a perfect metaphor; that you have choice but you don’t have choice.
The Dream of Mountains
I used to dream of mountains and stone. I’d close my eyes and see a version of myself that was ten feet tall, built of muscle and steady resolve; a samurai. The kind of creature that doesn’t just walk through a forest; I am the forest. In my dream, I would look back at myself… a small, twitchy, bunny-eared lil man. I would give myself a big thumbs-up, because if I can’t motivate myself into greatness.
It’s not about the size. It’s about gaining respect. Building the “Samurai amongst farmers” mentality. It’s not that the Samurai is better than the farmer, it’s just that his life choices are more readily in his own hands, on his own terms. He decides what he’s willing to die for. He has a code and he is ready.
I know I can not learn to be a mountain by standing still. To become big, I have to take myself somewhere worthwhile. The decision was the ocean, because ocean is power and I am almost powerless.
This Illusion of Choice
Surfing is a metaphor for a Stoic life. You see, people think surfing is about choosing the wave. It really isn’t. The ocean decides when the wave comes. The ocean decides how much power is behind it. The ocean doesn’t care about my code or lack thereof.
I’m just sitting there, bobbing in this infinite blue, day dreaming myself into realization.
I can’t stop the swell. I can’t command the tide. But I can choose my angles of attack. I can choose how hard I force myself against the water. How much I want to defend or succumb to the waves. I don’t control the waves; I control my soul and its actions.
Catching perfection
As pedantic as it sounds; life is the ocean. It’s going to throw something at you every single day, multiple times a day. Sometimes it’s perfect. Sometimes it comes in wobbly and unpredictable. And sometimes it comes in sideways, just so life can dunk your butt for a quick lesson. Some days the waves are simply too perfect and out of my league. Those days I take note and train harder.
One thing’s for sure; every wave is worth learning from. I’m rarely ever the only one trying, nor do I need to be aggressive to be effective. I treat life and all its participants fairly; that’s how I sleep well at night.
I don’t complain about what or how the world came at me. I’m just here, trying to be ready and receptive. I methodically remind myself to give it one hundred Every. Single. time. Any chance could be THE chance that unlocks the eureka I need to reach the next level in life. If I mess it up, that’s ok too; I tried. I will try again.
The tragedy isn’t missing the catch—it’s standing there with my arms crossed because the throw wasn’t perfect.
The wave is coming.
Meow meow,
Kev, that Bunny Bear
