Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
The Life of Surfing
The Surfing Connection
How Does Surfing Take Over Your Body, Mind…
Comparing Surfing to Our Lives
We Seek Deep Meaningful Peace
Pursuing Passions
Living Life on Your Terms
How Do We Thrive?
Seeking Challenges that Make Us Fearful
Passions Lead to Flow
The Pain of Learning
Why Are We Here?
What About You is Special
Elevate Your Performance
Find Your Best Environment
Selecting Our Priorities
Surfing is a Life Coach
About the Author
Foreword
I love introducing new students to the wonder of surfing in my Oceanside Surf Lessons. But not everyone can travel to see me so I love that people around the globe tune in daily for my posts. I don’t just write about how to surf. I write about what it means to have a surfer’s life.
I happen to love surfing and surf most every day. I am fine with teaching surfing everyday as well, because I am introducing several things to new students. They find how difficult surfing can be to learn and those that are serious realize they may have to step up their physical conditioning.
New students learn how to handle themselves in the ocean. This is a wonderful awareness. At the beginning of the water portion of the lesson, most students are intimidated by the power of the ocean and how it can move them and the surfboard around at will. When you learn how to minimize resistance, use your board to help you go through waves, go over or under them as appropriate, you start losing your fear and increasing your wonder…
Introduction
I tell my surf students I have 4 goals for them in a lesson: water safety, handling a surf board in the water, having fun, and learning to surf.
What if we were given simple advice when we were young:
- Optimize your health
- Learn all you can
- Make a contribution
- Enjoy Your Life
And then we were left to follow our passions. I would have enjoyed a life like that. Not sure I would have been educated. But I loved to play as a child, had great curiosity, was very creative, and loved everything outdoors.
Some expensive private schools in the San Francisco Bay area are allowing children custom educations in grammar school. They allow the children to study what interests them. What a concept. The children get to focus on their passions and follow where their curiosity takes them.
After a lifetime of going in the direction my mentors, culture, and society suggested for me, I have instead wound up following those four simple little directions above. Like those lucky kids in the custom schools, I go where my passions lead and follow where my curiosity takes me. I have a perspective of what I don’t like and a better perspective of what works in life…
The Life of Surfing
Outside influences strongly affect what happens to us internally. Stephen Covey has said we should build the inside and let it manifest outward. This short book is about building the inside first and letting it manifest into happiness and fulfillment. Find our happiness and focus the gratitude to help others. Use our talents and knowledge to help others find meaningful lives.
Surfing is a complete package. In it, I have found a way to express many of my goals. It can be a model for finding pursuits that include all our important values. It is a development of the physical, mental, and spiritual. And it is the most fun you can have when you are into it.
Life can also be about finding the most rewarding path. People with passion are unstoppable. The energy that is created from a vision supported by commitment and dedication incorporates the life force that powers the Universe.
Extreme athletes take a path in which they risk their lives to find the unity they know exists with all things. Extreme athletes use many environments in Nature to develop their skills, challenge natural phenomenon, enlist their peak performances and find their “white light” as Jeremy Jones, extreme snowboarder, says.
We can all find our “white lights” in life. The extreme athletes chronicled in The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler seek their purpose getting into “flow”. Finding our purpose seems to evolve when we prioritize certain values; treasure what and who we are; grow our talents, have gratitude that we exist and share our knowledge with others so that everyone rises together.
Surfing is a perfect blending of man and Nature. In surfing, man and Nature become one. Waves are an expression of Nature’s ability to create through chaos and disruption. Waves are fueled by wind and are at the effect of more influences than scientists admit knowing. Man can jump into this mix and develop the most skill he can muster to blend with the chaos that results in the beauty of waves..
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