The Tides of Life

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“The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.” – Vincent van Gogh

Previously, my favorite metaphor for the ups and downs of life was the carousel. You could see the rhythm, it was predictable, which appeals to my engineering brain, and it went full circle.

But my new favorite is the tide. I think it’s more apt. At the beach where we are staying, right now the tide is extremely low in the morning, followed by a very high tide in the afternoon, a barely noticeable low tide and then another high. Like this:

  • Low tide: -1.54 ft at 8:19am
  • High tide: 9.68 ft at 4:26pm
  • Low tide: 7.58 ft at 8:52 pm
  • High tide: 9.55 ft at 1:23am

And then as it moves through the month, it changes to be not so drastic. The low tide/high tide mark only shifts by about 5-6 feet. Like this:

  • Low tide: 1.48 ft at 3.35am
  • High tide: 7.45 ft at 10:08am
  • Low tide: 4.92 ft at 3.05pm
  • High tide: 9.61 ft at 9:04pm

There are several things that I like about the tide metaphor for life.

When it’s really low, it uncovers a lot of things that you can choose to comb through if you’re willing to get your feet wet.

At the times when the swing is drastic, the highs feel almost overwhelming like they’ll flood you. Also, there’s very little room to walk on the beach.

Life feels calmer when it evens out and the highs and lows aren’t very noticeable. But there isn’t a big impetus to get out onto the beach at any specific moment because they’re roughly the same. If you want to find treasures, it’s going to take a deep dive to get to them.

When the tide is very low, it’s going to be hard to float. You’ll have to work pretty hard to just get out there.

And maybe that’s the point: whenever possible, don’t fight the tides. It will change. Let the water come to you.

(featured photo is mine of the bay at a -1.54ft low tide)

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54 thoughts on “The Tides of Life”

  8. Such a apt and powerful metaphor, Wynne. I especially appreciate the idea that there’s little impetus to go explore when things are fairly clam and unchanging, and it the drastic swings in life that give us the opportunity to do a deeper dive and maybe discover some of those pearls. So much to think about here.

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  9. I love the metaphor of the tide – works just as well as summit climbings one. 😊A former manager once used it to illustrate how to handle the unpredictability and stress of work and life.

    And you said it best, let the water come to you. 🙏

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    1. I’m laughing about the climbing metaphors. Okay, I’m not giving those up either… 🙂

      The unpredictability and stress — that’s a great illustration. Thank you, as always, for your spot on observations, Ab!

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  10. I have always been drawn to the power and mystery of tides; how the gravational pull of the moon is involved every single month as it becomes full. (And the King tides too when the position of the Sun is involved. (King Tides are big where I live. ☺️) So, I’m all in about tying water and tides to the ways of life; the highs and lows are inevitable, but they will always change, too. Working with them is an awesome strategy. Having said all this, you have literally provided an inspiring germ of an idea for me, related to your Cup of Coffee donation. I am going to give it some serious thought. And in the meantime, enjoy your cup, or two!

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    1. Melanie — you are so amazing!! I love how tuned in you are to inspiration, metaphor and synchronicity. Your cup of coffee (or three!) came at a perfectly auspicious time for me — and I’m in awe of how you do that. And so grateful!! Thank you, my friend!! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  12. Wynne, this initially made me think of Bruce Lee’s philosophy to “be like water.” Change is constant, and it is our ability to reflect, survive, and advance out of those low tide moments…and then keep our heads when the tide runs high. And always, we should recognize that at low tide, obstacles upon reflection can become opporunities. A fluid mindset is a good thing!

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  14. Interesting advice, Wynne. I take it you have used this and imagine it is useful if you can set other things aside.

    Since I was thinking about Herarclitus yesterday, the notion of our inability to step into the same river twice popped up.

    We have quotes and metaphors to fill some buckets, which might also be important when on the beach.

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  17. It reminds me of Mary Oliver’s poem, “I go down to the shore”:

    I go down to the shore in the morning
    and depending on the hour the waves
    are rolling in or moving out,
    and I say, oh, I am miserable,
    what shall—
    what should I do? And the sea says
    in its lovely voice:
    Excuse me, I have work to do.

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