I saw five sharks during my swim today. Two were curious about me, gliding up from below to see what strange creature was visiting their home, while the other three had more important business to attend to.
Sharks are a powerful omen for me. While they can be fierce and intimidating, sharks are not the mindless killers we make them out to be. Rather, they are scavengers—eating the dead and the dying—thereby cleaning the ocean of that which no longer serves.
Whenever I see a shark, it reminds me to focus. To go inward and clean my life of that which no longer serves.
Sharks also remind me to listen with my 100 senses, as I like to say.
Sharks have the most acute sensory ability of any animal ever studied. This superpower is called electroreception, and it’s over 5 million times more sensitive than any human sense—sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste.
Electroreception allows sharks to perceive natural electric stimuli. They use this sense to both navigate the ocean and to sense other animals nearby. Some sharks can sense the equivalent of a single flashlight battery connected to electrodes 10,000 miles apart in the ocean.
So, yeah, they can sense your heartbeat. And whether you’re calm, or afraid, or hurt. It’s all just electricity to them.
Imagine if you could feel such minute disturbances in the proverbial Force.
Truth is, you can.
You may not have the electrosensitive ampullae of Lorenzi that the sharks have, but you do feel much more than you give yourself credit for.
And now, possibly more than ever before, we all must listen.
The Voice
People call it the small voice. The quiet voice. The still voice.
“Tune in to the small voice,” they say. “Listen to the whispers of your heart,” they say.
Stop right there.
It’s not small, and it’s not quiet.
It’s just that we’ve become so adept at tuning out the voice that we pretend it’s small, and quiet, and that we can’t quite hear it no matter how much we strain.
And this allows us to keep our unhealthy patterns, our unhealthy relationships, and to give up who we are in myriad facets of our lives.
Today the sharks were clear…
Listen, they said.
Listen to the raging beast within you that knots your stomach when you say ‘yes’ but you want to say ‘no.’
Listen to the voice that tells you what no longer serves.
Listen.
We are all agitated right now. We’re stressed. Afraid. Sad. Angry. We’ve all been forced to submit in one way or another.
And because of this, it’s the perfect time to listen.
Right when you want nothing more than a sugary snack and a glass of wine and a movie to take you into another world…
Stop. And listen.
What is the voice telling you? What is your fierce and benevolent warrior shark of an inner voice telling you to start or stop doing?
What no longer serves you in your life? What would serve better?
Listen.
And then, by all means, get your snack and your drink and your movie…
If you still want them.
But please, do listen.
And if you don’t believe me, ask those at the end of their lives. The dying, who are looking back on their lives, wishing they had listened.
That’s what Bronnie Ware did. She’s a palliative care nurse, and she asked her dying patients their biggest regret.
Number one?
“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
Those dying patients didn’t say, “I wish I’d had a guidance system so I could have known my path.”
No.
They heard the voice.
And now they wish they had listened more deeply, more intently, and with more urgency.
The voice must not be ignored.
It’s a warrior—sleek, muscular, lithe, nimble, and painted for battle…at all times.
It has to be.
It’s fighting for your very soul.
Wow! I needed that message today & it came in perfect timing. Thanks, Claire.
Loved learning of sharks’ special power—that’s profound information. Hope you & family are well & happy💗
Thanks Jill! The more I swim with sharks, the more I love them. We are doing well, thank you. I hope you are too! Such strange times. Love and aloha to you and Russ!
Claire,
Thank you and the sharks.
Gregory
Thank you Gregory! We miss you on the island. Hope you’re well!
OMG ! from the onset . It reminded me our conversation. A confirmation to heed the acute guidance , that Knows ! A
Thank you Algiin! And yes, such synchronicity. I love that you and I are on the same wavelength 🙂
Utterly fabulous, and so important to hear! Thank you, Claire! I love you <3
Thank you and love you Nee!
Thank you Claire !
I have always wanted to write a coffee
Table book on the humans about to pass … what is important to them…. what would they do differently ?
Always love your stories ❤️
It brings me peace ….,
Stay healthy… until we meet again ❤️
Thank you Tina! I love your idea. There is tremendous power and wisdom in those about to cross over. We could learn so much from them. Sending so much love to you and your sweet family!
I was just hearing the voice today that there would be more critters ( less tourists ) in K-Bay. Thanks for sharing sending waves of love
Aloha Marla! Yes yes, more critters and less people in the bay. And no boats. It’s quite magical. I receive your waves of love and send my own in return!
What a wonderful story and poem… Thank you for sharing it Claire…
Sending you a warm Northern California hello. With much love Leo and Chiwi
Thank you Leo! Sending you and Chiwi oceans of love and dolphin squeaks!
I enjoyed reading your piece. We always need to be reminded about the inner voice. I have followed it and been glad. Not listened and had great regret. I loved learning about the sharks and their abilities. The experience sounded so peaceful even with the sharks present. We need to
be in harmony with nature every day. That is what is missing from the planet and that is why we are paying the price for not listening today with endless fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and now the coronavirus. We need the planet to wake up! Wake up to the truth of our planet!! See that Nature wants us to be in harmony with her and she will tolerate nothing less. Keep writing!!1
Oh Renee! Thank you for your words. I agree completely! Waking up to the truth of who we really are, and being in close communion and attunement with Nature is the way! Sending love!
Thank you Claire, the sharks are amazing, and it seems we have many more in the bay lately. It also seems all the animals are more attuned and available to communicate lately. Love your writing and you. Aloha Jean
Thank you Jean! Yes, I have seen so many sharks lately. I love how all the animals are attuned and communicative. They are all reminding us of who we really are 🙂 Love you!