You see this picture and you say "Shark!!!"

I was just in conversation with a colleague where I shared my experiences diving in the Caribbean. He asked me why I loved diving so much, and if it were the thrills of swimming with sharks.

No, I told him that it was, in fact, the mindfulness of diving. Almost meditative. Yes, I am athletic but diving is almost a lazy-man's sport...it's all about slowing down; in both your body and your mind. It's not about powerful legs or being a strong swimmer.

It is a mental game. In diving, we are confronted by ourselves. If you are stressed, nervous or anxious, it will likely come out in full force as soon as you dip your head underwater, even if you managed to suppress those stressors and anxieties during the day.

Being an extreme Type-A who is used to multi-tasking, not just professionally, but also across my personal-professional life, sitting quietly for long periods of time actually causes me more stress (hence I found that traditional meditation practices of "sitting still" does not work for me).

Diving gives me a chance to be 100% present in the moment in an "active" situation - slow down my mind, slow down my body, focus on my breathing, single-tasking on the marine life, leaving the world behind (text messages can't come through 60 feet underwater!)

I've always been attracted to the mighty and calming ocean and often run to the beach for rejuvenation. Diving underwater takes this to a whole new level for me. I came back with greater clarity and creativity of thought; I would even say "roaring back".

Back to the picture of me and my shark. You're underwater and you see the thing you were taught your whole life to fear (the movie Jaws growing up in the 70's). It doesn't want to hurt you and it's one of the most beautiful things I have seen.

Fear can truly stop us from living our best life; I have found that "going directly into my fears" has rewarded me with some of my best life experiences. 

There is a parallel here between scuba-diving and investing - not letting fear drive your emotions and actions allows you to make the most of the situation and see the opportunity and experience for what it is.