We Will See What We See
tl;dr: meditate with me Monday eve if you’re in Richmond
As it heats up here in Virginia, I’ve been thinking more about getting underwater and remembering the incredible scuba dives I did in the Philippines in early May.
My long-time adventure friend Bettina and I stayed at this small dive resort at the beginning of our time there, before ending our vacation relaxing here. (Read her blog about our adventures)
We dove multiple times each day at some of the best sites in the world. Pretty incredible for a newly certified diver like me.
Before every dive, Esmer, our assigned guide, would brief us on our dive plan and site — the depth, the currents, what lived there. But he never promised us that we would encounter any one specific thing – even though I later found out that he had grown up in these waters, spearfishing, diving, and living on them since he was a kid.
No matter where we were diving, he always ended his briefing with these words: "We will see what we see."
Of course, I wanted to see something amazing on every single dive – often hunting for my next glimpse of a shark or peeking in the coral formations (not touching, low-impact pink light flashlights only) for something rare.
But dive after dive, Esmer's wisdom revealed itself.
The magic wasn't in having a guarantee of sighting something rare or spectacular — it was always in what we discovered when we stopped looking for certainty and started paying attention to what was there.
The tiny nudibranch camouflaged perfectly against coral. The shy octopus that emerged when we stopped searching for it. The unexpected school of barracuda that appeared like silver lightning, gone as quickly as they came. The giant turtles that swam up behind Bettina and I and danced around us as we laughed through our regulators.
We saw what we saw, and it was always enough.
As under water, so above.
How often do we hold back from diving into life because we don't have a guarantee of the outcome?
How many conversations do we avoid, projects do we postpone, risks do we sidestep because we can't be certain of what we'll find or achieve?
We want the promise of the giant gentle whale shark before we're willing to get in the water.
But life, like the ocean, doesn't work that way.
It doesn't offer us a preview of what's waiting in the depths. It asks us to trust that whatever we encounter — the ordinary moments and the breathtaking ones — will be exactly what we need to see.
The practice isn't in securing the guarantee.
It’s in showing up for the practice day after day and trusting that what we see will inform what’s next.
This week, I've been asking myself: Where am I waiting for certainty before I'm willing to dive? What conversations, opportunities, or changes am I postponing because I can't see the whole picture? What am I afraid of finding out?
And – what might I discover if I trusted Esmer's wisdom and dove in anyway?
What are you waiting to see guaranteed before you're willing to get in the water?
Hit reply and let me know. I love hearing about the depths you're willing to explore.
xox,
Michelle
Me & B & one of the many beautiful turtles on our dives.
Be Present
If you’re in Richmond, I’m leading a guiding meditation on Monday evening at Yellow House. It’s just a few bucks (we’re donating proceeds) and you can sign up below.
If you want to share the love, forward this to a friend. If you were forwarded this email and want more like it, sign up here.
For more insights and interviews, follow me on Instagram here & here, TikTok, & YouTube. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn.
Presence is a practice. We have finite time, be here for it.
