Episode Summary

Confident Strides: The Podcast invites listeners to reflect on the value of presence over perfection. Through a personal story at Fort Ord State Beach, this episode explores how focusing on capturing moments can distract us from truly experiencing them. It highlights the importance of letting go, being present, and finding confidence in the unpredictability of life’s waves.

Show Notes

In this episode, we walk through:

• A full-circle moment years in the making
• The tension between capturing a moment and living it
• What the ocean teaches about timing, release, and acceptance
• How presence builds confidence in unexpected ways
• Why perfectionism often robs us of the very peace we’re seeking

Key themes:

• Presence over perfection
• Letting go of control
• Mindful movement
• Personal growth in motion
• Nature as a teacher

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Favorite Moment

“The waves come when they come. The peace is in being there when they do.”

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Transcript

Tonia Tyler (00:00)
Welcome to Confidence Strides, The Podcast. Quiet moments, powerful insights, a space to walk, reflect, and grow.

Tonia Tyler (00:10)
So picture this. I’m standing on this wide, quiet beach, phone in hand, just totally determined to snap the perfect wave. But every single time, I thought, this is it. The moment slipped right past me. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself after the third missed shot. That’s happened to me too, and it’s so frustrating. There’s that urge to capture something amazing. But while you’re busy fiddling with your phone,

the thing you wanted to catch is already gone. It’s like you’re so focused on preserving the perfect memory, you end up missing out on actually experiencing it. Exactly. And then it hit me, how many of those moments have I let pass by? Just because I was too wrapped up in trying to control them, life’s got this wild way of rolling on, like those waves, whether we’re ready or not. What surprised me most is how much calmer things feel when you just let go of trying to capture it all. I mean,

You stop chasing the perfect timing and just soak up what’s right in front of you, even if it’s messy or unpredictable. Totally. When I finally lowered my phone and just watched, it was this totally different experience. There was this one wave, tall and golden in the late sun. And for once I just took it in. No photo, no proof, just memory. Moments like that stick with you, don’t they? It almost feels freeing, not needing to hold on to everything or get every detail right.

You get this sense of peace from just being present, even if you’re not capturing it for later. Yeah, and it makes me wonder how often we mistake control for confidence, if I can just get the shot or plan the outcome, then maybe everything will feel secure. But really, it’s the letting go where the real confidence is. Funny you say that, because every time I’ve tried to force things to go my way, it never quite works out. But when I just show up and let things unfold,

That’s when I actually feel grounded. It’s a totally different kind of trust. One that’s about being present, not perfect. That actually reminds me how important it is to walk at your own pace. The ocean’s not rushing for anyone, and neither should we. There’s this quiet strength in just moving forward. Even if it doesn’t look picture perfect. Absolutely, and I think sometimes we need those reminders. You can’t control the waves, but you can choose to be there, fully.

for whatever comes. That’s how real confidence grows step by step, right where you are.

Tonia Tyler (02:41)
Your path, your pace, your confidence.

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Reflection Prompt

Where in your life are you trying so hard to capture the perfect moment that you’re missing the one right in front of you?

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Call to Action

• If this episode spoke to you, join the Confident Strides community on Mighty Networks to share your insights and continue the conversation: https://bit.ly/4i1fhx2
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• For more written reflections, visit SweetNSocial.com: https://sweetnsocial.com

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By Tonia Tyler | #ConfidentStrides | Sweet N Social