Draft 2-Reflection_4 Life Lessons

It was during the summer holidays when my one of my best-friends suggested that for this holiday, we should learn how to dive. After much deliberation, we unanimously decided to go ahead with the trip since was win-win situation; a holiday trip with best of friends while learning a new skill which would feed our need to do something adventurous. Given such short notice for the trip, I did not manage to do much research. I came into it almost clueless, only with general ideas and hearsay from other friends about what to expect. My heart was open and filled with much excitement and enthusiasm.

The duration of the programme was four days long. It was held in the beautiful and sunny island of Tioman which is located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Tioman Island is well-known for its numerous species of coral reefs and marine life, making it a hot spot for scuba diving and other types of water activities.

As someone who was usually confident in water, learning how to scuba dive in the open water division, would not be considered challenging. However, my overconfidence and disillusionment were all shattered and humbled by the sea during my first and basic dive lesson.There were many take away lessons which could be drawn out from this experience however I would place great emphasis* on a few.

During this trip I was taught to always have the right frame of mind; stay calm and compose and to think clearly in any and every situation. It is a matter of life and death. Unlike being on land, one can easily drown to his/her death simply because they panic in that moment and not because of the danger imposed by situation itself. This was a monumental task as it was not my second nature to be able to detach my emotions from a stressful situation, and at the same time maintaining composure to resolve the matter. Secondly, to listen to yourself and to know your limits. It is amazing how just by learning a seemingly trivial skill would lead me into learning a relevant yet unexplored side about myself. It was a valuable lesson which is vital for my development to prepare me for the world out there because it cannot be acquired in a typical classroom setting. Thirdly, I have learn to appreciate life and not to take things for granted. It made me reflect on all the subtle blessings in life like the very fact that I can breathe and breathe easily and effortlessly. Being underwater at 18 meters, you must be constantly conscious of the way you breathe. This is key as the breathing technique has a direct reciprocal relationship with your dive performance underwater. Breathing wrongly would result in the disability to sink or float appropriately . Diving is only fun when you are doing it right. However mastering this technique takes dedication and time which brings me to the last and most imperative lesson of them all, that is to be patient. Without patience, almost nothing can be achieved.

In sum, after a four-day holiday trip I came back as a transformed person with a more fresh and positive outlook on life and the pursue of learning as a whole. An experience which has build my character and open my mind. Learning how to dive in open waters has left a great impact in my life. An impact so great, I would account it as one of the best things I have ever experienced thus far.