by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

The sea’s been wonderfully warm for Autumn (Fall) and this week the sea has been crystal clear. But for the board riders the waves have been modest in size and frequency. So the surfers have had to practise patience and be ready to spring into action when a good wave comes.

We notice that experienced surfers do a lot of stretching before they actually go into the surf, so when the moment comes for action they are less likely to pull a muscle. We met one of our board riding friends the other day limping, he had done just that the day before.

In business as in surfing there are times you have to wait, just make sure you have done your "stretching exercises" so you are prepared to spring into action when the opportunity arises.

The old saying comes to mind:

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
-Seneca .

How do you stretch while you’re waiting for the wave?

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

Happy Mother’s Day!
From Liz, Suzie, and Des!

by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

Yesterday walking on the beach I was stuck for inspiration for this weeks beach notes. Des came up with a few ideas that were variations on what we had done previously.

Then I remembered SOBCon ’09 was on and thought what good timing for a beach inspiration picture, especially as Liz loves Aussie Beaches.

I then headed into twitter to see what was being said about and at SOBCon ’09.

Here are a few gems for those of us who didn’t get to Chicago this weekend.

Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

On Friday we wondered if we would get to swim in the sea. Following a week or more of fierce storms with a consequent build up of debris, the sea was so murky. The locals including ourselves were reluctant to swim. Thursday we stood on the beach discussing why it was taking so long to clear. We didn’t swim that day.

Then overnight, as if with the wave of a magic wand the sea had become crystal clear. You could see the fish and your own feet.

Life itself is like that sometimes I find. Last week I was in one of my "overwhelm" states. HOW would I get everything completed IN TIME?

Des says let’s get everything that is in your head onto a spreadsheet. VOILA, magic wand time again! I have been able to get clear and move forward. What’s great is I am checking things off. This give me good feelings as well as giving me clarity.

What do you do when things are not clear?

Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

Sandcastle Moments

For the child,
that the sandcastle
will disappear
with the next wave
is irrelevant.

She lives joyfully
in her imagination
in the moment!
–Des Walsh

Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

Happy Easter!
Love
Suzie, Des, and Liz

by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

I was inspired with the words from this billboard advertisement
which graced Snapper Rocks during the recent QuickSilver
Roxy Pro Surfing Championships.
Just in case you are curious the full image can be seen here

With so much gloom and doom around you have to ask what kind of
future do you feel

We can all choose to feel the way the doom and gloom merchants
would like us to feel or we can change our emotional vibration
to feel positive. In other words we can choose to feel a
prosperous and bright future. It is up to us!

So will you have positive feelings about your future today?

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

When it is high tide, we climb some stairs to get from Rainbow Bay to Greenmount Beach.

On Friday as we were climbing the stairs I said to Des: “We don’t have an idea for Beach Notes this week. As we walked along the path we noticed some tourists photographing a bush turkey in a tree. Bush turkeys are usually seen scurrying around the ground, making what we call a mess, throwing dirt onto the pathway, but for them is just part of making their nest.

An idea came to mind, talk turkey: To speak frankly and get down to the basic facts of a matter.

Des often says one of the things he loves about me is my openness and honesty. He tells other people that “what you will get with Suzie is how it is: you mightn’t like it but you will always know where you stand.”

Recently I have been some conversations with myself on this exact topic. Have I been talking frankly with myself or have I been in a slight state of delusion?

Sometimes it is easier for me to “talk turkey” to an other than to myself.

What is your talk turkey story?

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh