Surf Lessons

Preface:
As some of you may know, I spent 10 days in Costa Rica earlier this year and the experience was pretty incredible.

I decided to go because a friend of mine recommended a specific yoga/ surfing area called Nosara Beach. He had gone there with his family and said it would be the perfect place for me to just “reconnect” with things.

So I decided to give it a shot despite my reservations about whether it was the “smart thing” to do. I decided that no matter the cost or my concerns about traveling alone, I was going to do it and stay open to everything that came my way.

The result was an amazing experience that taught me so many new things about myself, the world, and all the people in it.

There is so much out there folks and unfortunately, we get so tunnel visioned with our day-to-day lives that we miss the opportunities around us. We get caught up in what we should or shouldn’t do and we can’t sift through all the noise around that decision.

Life is all about practicing "discernment” which is one’s ability to judge well, and let me tell you that no one knows you better than you, even if you are still learning and growing. So just trust your choices, stay open, and keep trying new things.

I got to try surfing for the first time in Costa Rica which was pretty cool. So today I’m going to share some lessons I learned from atop my surfboard.

I hope they resonate and inspire you to trust yourself and continue to follow your own path. 😎

Lesson #1 “Everyone starts as a beginner, accept that and get started”

As I stood alone on the beaches of Costa Rica, I watched some surfers ride along with ease and others get snatched up by big waves. So I quickly ate my humble pie and booked a surf lesson. My first experience went great and I was riding solo by day 2. I didn’t get overwhelmed and quit before I started and I didn’t try to prove something I didn’t need to.

I was a beginner and beginners need guidance.

Lesson #2 “Find a teacher/ mentor you are comfortable with and trust them”

I had two great instructors during my surfing adventures and both taught me a lot. But the second instructor also asked me questions, gave me the deeper why behind movements, and paid close attention to each of my rides. He made me slow down, and reflect and that was when I really started to take off!

Open up, let people help, and don’t be afraid to ask more questions to gain more confidence.

Lesson #3 “Live to fight another day, listen to your body”

I have never been so tired in my life. I only surfed for an hour the first day but man was I exhausted. No matter how fit you think you are, getting smashed by waves as you paddle out relentlessly for your 7 seconds of glory really adds up. Not to mention the sun is beating down on you.

Remember when you are fatigued you lose mental focus and you can get injured, sure I only had 10 days in Costa Rica, but I will have many more opportunities to surf in the future because I called it a day when I needed to.

I now apply this concept to my workout regime a lot more than I used to and have noticed a lot less injury/burnout.

Lesson #4 “Doing it on your own may no longer serve you like it once did”

Even when I went out “by myself” on day 2, I still went with a group (shown below), and though I impressed myself with what I remembered from day 1 and had early success, I quickly realized today was a new day and the waves were much bigger.

So I leaned on my friends, took breaks to talk it out, and got more coaching from a friend’s instructor. We all got much better together and had way more fun!

Lesson #5 “Anger ultimately works against you, even if it helps for a moment”

Day 2 I obviously wanted to prove myself and I have always tapped into anger at times to work just a little bit harder. But it didn’t work against the waves, and frankly, it hasn’t been working in life like it used to. Truthfully, it probably never worked like I thought it did and that was my big AHA 💡Moment.

So with the guidance of Anders the instructor above, I channeled my anger into determination. I pushed myself to be better, laughed it off when I wasn’t, and learned to let it all go.

Anger is ultimately a waste of energy and in surfing, I realized I couldn’t afford to waste any of it.

Lesson #6 “Let go of control, lean in, and don’t pull back”

Every time I would stand up, I would plant my back foot for more control and slow right down. I wanted to control the ride instead of using the wave as my guide, and my instructor kept telling me I needed to lean forward more to maintain speed.

I needed to find balance, and ride the wave, not try to control it. Pretty much a microcosm of life isn’t it? We stop leaning in and pushing forward for fear of falling, but the truth is when we pull back we often fall short of our full potential.

Ride the wave for real. No fear.

Lesson #7 “There is always another wave”

There is always another wave just like there will always be another opportunity. Don’t overstress a failure or overvalue a win. Reflect, learn, and enjoy both, because the beautiful part about life is there is always another ride!

I hope you enjoyed my message and I hope you surf in the future one day!

As they say in Costa Rica…

Pura Vida (pure life) 🤙

Connor