What quiets your mind and refreshes you to take on life?

Each one of us has this escape that rejuvenates us and allows us to continue taking on life's challenges. Mine used to be going out on adventures but the pandemic had limited that option. Since then, I would just reminisce on the experiences. One particular adventure I kept reliving is my cliff diving at Fantastic Island in Medellin Cebu, Philippines. **#### [//]:# (!pinmapple 11.184913 lat 123.917638 long d3scr)

Let me walk you through my exhilarating experience.

Imagine yourself walking on a wooden dive board 30 feet above the ground. You can feel it bounce as you walk to the edge. A gash of wind blows while that diving board continues to bounce. You look down and see the clearest sea you’ve laid your eyes on at 30 feet high. Your heart starts pumping so hard it’s almost like shouting to stop you from potentially killing yourself. But you go against all your bodily instincts and jump. You thought it will all be over by jumping but that is not the case.

As you jump, there is that dead air stillness. Your mind is clear of any thought. All you hear is your heart beating. After a few more seconds of this nothingness, you start asking yourself when it will all be over. You continue to drop feeling nothing in the air. Then when you thought it has taken too long, you feel the wetness on your feet and hear the water splash. Instinctively you hold your breath. You think to yourself, finally! But hitting the water did not end the experience. You realize you are going deeper. The momentum of the jump is not yet over. You continue to sink deeper wondering if you can hold your breath long enough. While thinking that, you feel the momentum stop. Hastily, you start kicking to return back to the surface wondering how deep you’ve plunged into the sea. At last, you break the water surface and take the longest breath all the while appreciating the excitement.

That was how I felt on my 2012 cliff dive. It was a memorable experience for me that when I had the chance, I did it again last 2014.

These memories were so unforgettable that I still vividly remember everything after all these years. I can recall how silent my mind went after that drop from the diving board. It is one thing that cliff diving can do for me, a therapeutic shutdown so all those “cache and cookies” clogging up my mind is quieted down. I learned that we all have this kind of escape. If you don’t have one, it is best you find what clears your clutter so you can face life’s daily challenges with renewed vigor.