Three years ago I started paddling. A young German lady, grown up far away from the Ocean, afraid of water and especially waves. She had this crazy idea to rent a surfboard and forget about her fear.

What surfing teaches us for life even if you aren´t a surfer

1. Be brave

Personal growth depends on crossing borders since fun begins when you step out of your comfort zone. You have to know well your limits - and exceed them safely. My personal limit was water. I was grown in a small village many miles away from the Ocean, so I didn´t have the beautiful chance to be one of these water addicted kids who consider the beach their second home. BUT I didn´t care. Fear is not real. It is a product of our imagination. This is the reason why fear should not have any influence on our actions. The solution is trying! What if I fall? Oh and what if you fly, darling? The most important thing when flying is safety! So make sure that crossing borders or exceeding limits doesn´t mean to bring you in danger. You always have to know well your physical and mental capabilities. They are your guideline. If you are tired, get out of the water. If you are full of angst, stop and go on training out of the water. Be brave but not careless! Being brave is a process which will take its time. You can´t become a super hero in one day :-)

2. Be smart

Before facing a challenge make sure that you are well informed about the area you are going to enter. For surfers this means to know well your spot and every circumstance which might affect your actions (currents, rocks, waves, wind, people,...). Be smart and gather any kind of information about your new aim. Make sure that you know well the theory before starting to practice. Look for role models and study their behavior. Watching surf videos helped me a lot to understand the game before trying to do some moves in the water. Talk to others who are of the same business, ask them about their experiences, share yours. Be a networker!

3. Be passionate

There is no great output without a passionate input! Be commited by the heart or don´t to it at all. You won´t have any success doing something which doesn´t drive you crazy. When the fire´s burning inside yourself, you are on the right track since your decisions will be heart-driven and not absolutely rational.

The formula is: THINK. FEEL. ACT.

Actually when I go to bed after a long surfing day and close my eyes I still "see" the waves breaking in front of me. Nothing more beautiful!

4. Be ambitious

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

There is no success without hard work, no super star without sweat and tears. I can´t remember how many times I already cried paddling in the water. Sometimes I was just tired, my body didn´t want to continue fighting the Ocean, but my mind did. No problem, let these tears roll down and get over it. Be patient with yourself, if you work hard on your aim, you´ll make it. The more you practice the better you´ll be.

5. Be humble

There are a lot of circumstances in life you won´t ever be able to control. Don´t try to change the world, just learn how to deal with it. You won´t ever control the Ocean, it´s unequally stronger than you are. Don´t try to change this, just make sure you know how to handle it. The more you spend studying your environment, the better you will know how to "read" and interpret it. I still don´t know well how to foresee if a wave will break left or right. But I am on it! :-)

6. Have fun - life is short

The best surfer isn´t the one who knows best surfing, it´s the one who enjoys surfing most. Make sure you have infinite fun at what you are doing. Even if things don´t work as you expected: keep smiling and LIVE YOUR DREAM!

Cheers
Marly -

Ocean and Earth: What surfing teaches us for life even if you aren´t a surfer - 6 life lessons