Ebb and Flow - Accepting Ourselves and Life in Waves
Art Title: Ebb and Flow
On a recent solo quiet escape to Langkawi, I spent hours by the sea. Looking at the ocean, I felt so small. The horizon stretched endlessly, and the waves rolled in and out, without rush and without resistance.
The waves reminded me that life has its own rhythm. No matter what we are going through, there is a greater tide moving around us. Life is made beautiful by its ups and downs. The beauty comes when we learn to embrace it; we discover meaning in both the calm and the storms, and we allow ourselves to be gently carried by the flow.
Chasing sunsets in Langkawi
What is Ebb and Flow?
The rhythm of the ocean is called Ebb and Flow:
Ebb is when the tide recedes, pulling back from the shore.
Flow is when the tide rises again, returning to the land
Together, Ebb and Flow describes the natural rhythm of the ocean and also the rhythm of our lives
When I was at the Ebb
When I was at the Ebb of my life, a few voices around me said:
This too shall Pass
Give it Time
Remember that you will not feel This Way forever
These words stayed with me. They reminded me to keep showing up in life, to hold on, and to trust that the tide would turn eventually. Slowly, it happened…
The Rhythm of Self-Acceptance
🌊 The Stillness:
Some days feel quiet, even stagnant. In those moments, self-acceptance means allowing the silence to be enough. Still waters are not wasted time — they give us space to pause, to reflect and to slowly find ourselves again
🌊 The Turbulence:
Some days crash loudly, full of self-doubt. These are the days when I felt lost, when I no longer recognised myself. It was unbearable at times. But I have learned that acceptance here means not fighting the waves but to accept the imperfections in me. Even turbulence has its place in shaping us, strengthening us, reminding us that losing ourselves is sometimes part of the process of finding ourselves anew.
🌊 The Return:
Just as every wave eventually finds its way back to shore, clarity and calm will return too. Each new day offers another chance to grow, to improve, to begin again. As long as we live for one more sunrise, the possibility of Becoming remains.
A Closing Reflection
There are seasons of loss and self-doubt, where everything feels heavy. But remember, there will be seasons of renewal and self-love again, where the light returns.
If you are in the ebb right now, know this: you will not feel this way forever. This too shall pass, the tide always turns.
Eventually, the day came for me too — I began to like myself again. Slowly, quietly, I started to love this version of me: imperfect, ever-changing, yet always becoming. And now, I find myself beginning to love this newer season of life as well
✨ Life is beautiful this way
