on diving and life plus early recap of 2010

been really really negligent on writing. i should, more often, because it helps me get through the messy stuff in my head.

all a jumble and tangle of thoughts. one issue to the next. trivial, important, urgent, not so urgent.

2011's coming up 'round the corner. bracing myself for big changes. can't decide which one yet to pursue. but definitely, it'll be pretty major. lots of responsibilities, bigger accountability. it'll be a sink or swim theme, i bet.

i couldn't have scheduled learning how to dive at just the right time.

1) i know i can do something if i condition my mind to do it. even if its my biggest fear, i know i'll have the courage to do it. when needed. if i really want to.

2) sure, we say its all in the mind. but its also about the heart. even if we "fool" ourselves into thinking we can do it, but if our heart is aflutter, we won't be able to push ourself to go through it. mind and heart has to sync.

3) when it really counts, when the stakes are high, you can't panic. and you can't make a mistake. just be calm and remember everything you've been taught. you're even taught the correct way to panic.

4) remember to breathe. never hold your breath when you're under water.

5) equalize every few feet. as you go down, the pressure gets greater and it presses on you. quite literally. so its important to equalize.

5) its important to have a reference point. when you're in "limbo" and you don't know which is up or down, when you're in open sea and everything is blue, you need this reference point to guide you, to anchor you and keep you right side up.

6) you can't stay underwater, with tons of pressure, for a long time. you have to resurface and let your body normalize, breathe in fresh air and not tank air. and let the nitrogen build up in the body dissolve. the deeper you go down (more pressure), the less time you can spend there. the longer time you need to resurface as well.

7) there are a lot of checks and safety measures. remember them all. don't go under the water without doing a thorough check.

8) its a buddy system. you need someone you trust, in case things go wrong, he/she should be able to take care of you.

2010's definitely a better year for career, family, friends. uhm, on relationships, i just have to say its been interesting ;P much too much, but then, that's "normal" even for me.

trips have been great! been to a whole lot of new places. learned so much and did so many amazing things.

i really can't say about 2011. too soon to tell. and it'll depend on which to-do in my list i prioritize. its another wait-and-see mode.