Surfing: A Medicine for the Mind
Surfing is probably the most blissful feeling of serenity one can experience in life. While this sport is often associated with its rigorous physical attributes, the mental attributes are just as important. As time passes, you begin to notice your ability to train your brain and will soon be able to visualize yourself and your end goals. With surfing comes the ability to clear our minds and focus on one target in order to enter a mental state of freedom and self-awareness. It’s that process of building your concentration that will enable you to tune in with the elements you are surrounded by. Simply being on your board and becoming mindful of your environment can not only improve your surfing ability, but can be translated to your everyday hustle and bustle acts that life brings us when on dry land. It is essentially all about where your mind is at, learning to let go, and most importantly to have fun.
Hesitation can lead to lost opportunities
It is abundantly clear that if you do not commit to your actions then you will either miss an opportunity in riding an amazing wave, or turn a potentially amazing wave into an amazing wipeout. Neither of which screams excitement. This sport does not accept hesitation. The moment you do so is the same moment where you find yourself in trouble.
If there is a good opportunity then you must go after it. Every wave will be different. Not every opportunity will be equally as great as the one you let slip past your fingers. This is particularly important and can pertain to anything in life. You must not think twice and go for great opportunities because you never know when you will receive the same chance again.
If we do not commit to our actions then we will never be able to achieve greatness. Breathe, commit to the action, do not think twice, and just go for it. You will find great happiness on the other side of that fear and hesitation.
Break out of your comfort zone
I use to hesitate when catching big waves. I remember looking from the shore line and thinking how the waves do not seem so intimidating until having to face them straight on. This caused me to frequently pull back. However, one day I decided to stop fearing what could go wrong and to just focus on what could go right. The moment where I let myself go was also the same moment where I felt the most liberation. From then on, I would constantly push myself higher and harder until I have reached my goal.
Quality over Quantity
The connection you have between your body, your board, and the waves is a beneficial if not an essential aspect about this sport. Mastering the preparations it takes will increase your chances in catching a quality wave. There is no comparison from a 5 amazing rides to 10 mediocre waves. It is the quality of our work rather than the quantity that will please us.
Physical Strength vs. Well-Informed
I was never one for having strength in my arms. I was often called a “string bean” due to my lack of arm muscles. So how could I have possibly managed to maintain my stamina while surfing? Well, this is where being informed triumphs physical strength. When surfing, having a lack of strength isn’t necessarily the problem, but the lack of mental awareness to use your strength at the right moment when catching a wave that causes you to not achieve your goals.
Practice is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary
Practice allows you to free up your mental real estate by diverting your concentration from wasteful resources and direct it towards resources that take more precedence. Hard-work, discipline, and persistence will allow you to excel at any endeavor you wish to pursue in the art of surfing and in life. Before you realize it, you are performing certain actions as if it is second nature, allowing you to free up your time and using that energy for something else.