The waves at Fort Ord have a rhythm all their own. Some crash loud and proud, spraying salt mist high into the air. Others roll in quietly, curling under themselves before disappearing back into the sea.

I’m sitting on the sand with my phone in hand. I am waiting for that perfect shot. It’s the kind that makes you feel the power and pull of the ocean even through a screen. Every time I look away, it occurs. The big wave comes. It’s the perfect one. It’s the moment I thought I was ready for.

It makes me laugh a little. There’s something poetic about missing the moment because I was too busy trying to catch it.

The Illusion of Control

As a photographer, I’ve learned that timing is everything. But here, sitting by the water, I realize that control is an illusion.

You can prepare your camera, adjust your focus, line up your frame — but the waves don’t act on command. They come when they come. The ocean has no interest in your readiness or your plans.

And as an entrepreneur, that lesson hits home.
How many times have I tried to line up everything just right before launching something new? Waiting for the “perfect” moment — the right lighting, the right energy, the right audience? And still, somehow, the timing never feels exact.

Because life, like the ocean, has its own rhythm.

Presence Over Perfection

I put my phone down and just watch for a while. Without the pressure to capture, I start to see. I watch the shimmer of sunlight on the water. I notice the way each wave builds quietly before bursting open. I appreciate the stillness between them.

There’s beauty in those in-between moments too, the pauses between the noise.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply sit and watch.
You’ll never catch the perfect shot, and maybe that’s the point.

It’s not about catching the moment — it’s about being there for it.

The Entrepreneur’s Ocean

Entrepreneurship can feel a lot like watching waves. One moment, everything’s calm — steady clients, steady flow, steady confidence. The next, the tide shifts. A new idea rushes in, or a plan you counted on crashes before it lands.

And still, we show up.
We adjust, breathe, and wait for the next wave.

The ocean teaches something that no business book can:
You can’t force momentum. You can only prepare your stance and trust your footing.

When the wave comes, you ride it.
When it doesn’t, you rest and watch.

The Gift of Surrender

There’s a strange peace that comes with letting go of control.
Once I stop trying to expect the next wave, I notice how everything slows down. My breath slows, my mind calms, and even my heartbeat eases.

It reminds me that presence isn’t passive. It’s an active choice to be here, now — not somewhere in the “what if.”

The ocean doesn’t apologize for its unpredictability. It simply is.
And maybe that’s what balance looks like. It’s about learning to move in rhythm with what’s unfolding. This is instead of fighting against it.

A Lesson in Timing

The afternoon sun glistens on the water. I look out and catch it just in time. A perfect, towering wave curls into gold. It’s magnificent, and this time, I don’t reach for my phone. I just watch.

The foam curls, the light dances, and the moment passes — but not really.
It’s still with me, imprinted deeper than any photo could have captured.

The peace isn’t in freezing the moment.
It’s in feeling it.

The Takeaway

Maybe we spend too much time trying to catch life instead of living it.
Trying to control timing instead of trusting it. I also learned a lesson doesn’t end here — the ocean always finds another way to speak.

The waves will keep coming, whether I’m ready or not. And maybe that’s the beauty of it. It’s knowing that everything meant for me will arrive when I’m here enough to get it.

The waves come when they come.
The peace is in being there when they do.

Reflection Prompt

Where in your life are you trying to control the timing instead of simply being present for the flow?

Author’s Note

This piece was one of three reflections that arrived on the same afternoon at Fort Ord State Beach. Each carried its own message. Yet, this one asked me to slow down. It encouraged me to look up from the screen. I needed to witness life as it was. I shouldn’t try to capture or control it.

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By Tonia Tyler | #ConfidentStrides | Sweet N Social

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