Surfing Lessons

A coach told me once in middle school that the hardest things in life are STARTING and FINISHING!

Today marks exactly one entire year of DAILY podcast recordings and episodes! And while it may come as a surprise to many, recording and/or going live on the air is the most terrifying thing that I do! There's nothing that seems natural about it to me, and I feel the fear every time I show up. Yet, here I stand with 365+ episodes published over the last 365 days! Boom! Push through YOUR fear and GO AFTER YOUR VISION!

It sucks when the movement stops. In the ocean, the water starts to stink and there's no waves to play with. But when the water is moving and the waves are rolling in consistently, it's PLAYTIME!

Do you enjoy being with yourself, just with yourself, and nothing or no one else to distract you from yourself?

With many people who you think you love, you’re only fooling yourself. WHAT you really love is the thought, the idea, the hope that they will change into the person that you would love. WHO you really love is a bullshit projection of a person who you believe will one day conform to your imprisoning belief system and judgments. It is merely a fantasy, a lie to both yourself and them...aka, "CONDITIONAL" LOVE. I know, I know....this sounds like some crazy shit. And if it does, then YOU are ESPECIALLY one of those ☝

What signs are you ignoring? Life gives you constant breadcrumbs and the gut feelings and intuition that comes with them. Don't ignore them!!

I feel like I'm a badass surfer surfing these big waves. Killing it 1.5x OH waves with a 9'6" single fin longboard. I used to think that was simply someone special. If I'm a great surfer is because I'm special and have some advantages that others don't. Today I realize that the surfer I am today was not born this way, but 100% built through commitment.

I have a bunch of surfboards and wetsuits...thousands of dollars worth of equipment that I skip over and don't really give a crap about because I simply won't do the work to repair them. Your life is full of relationships that don't work and are merely being tolerated because you refuse to do the work required!

At the very edge of what you now consider dangerous is the place where you get to experience your most drastic results in your life!

You can't have courage without fear. Fear is a gift! Experience fear inducing surf to experience the bold, powerful, courageous side of yourself!

We can get stuck living under the lie that our gifts are valuable, "just because." The reality is, if they are not creating any value for anyone, than they are literally worthless. Invest into your gifts and talents and watch the value of them and YOU, increase!

Most people require great conditions to have a great time. Yet how much of our lives are lived under less than ideal circumstances? Don't be one of those surfers, don't be one of those men. Don't let the conditions dictate your life. Brother, YOU dictate your life!

Why do shortboarders not like longboarding and longboarders? Many reasons. Some good ones that make sense. Others that are difficult to make any sense of. Either way, it is what it is. Accept it so that you can more forward towards a decision of what to do with it. Resist it and it will continue to consume you even haunt you.

You want better surf sessions? Better relationships? Better sex!....Well, take care of the freaking car alarm

Don't get sad, get glad!

99% of the game of surfing is NOT riding a surfboard! Our experience of a relationship is not a single dance or the honeymoon. It is the daily consistent experience of our partner which demonstrates their commitment – who they REALLY are!

The more I love something, the more I want to share it with others!

When I come up against the challenges and barriers that keep me from achieving what I want, those stories become my ammunition that I get to reload with. ⚔️

Most of us live lives full of invisible shit that has profound impact on us and our relationships. We tell ourselves that certain things don't matter, especially if they are uncomfortable to deal with or sort out. So we avoid them and pretend like the problems are not there. But THEY ARE! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Seriously? It sounds beautiful, but is in no way practical to living a fulfilling, passionate life. Rather, how about this – LIVE LIKE TODAY MATTERS FOR ETERNITY!

Whether it's carving up a wave or recording your next marketing video, creating uses more energy. Just standing there requires very little energy. Being creative and evolving yourself and your game means you must increase your energy to increase your capacity to create.

It is OK to be both disappointed and grateful for the same situation. Often as human beings we choose either one or the other. We like to make things bad or good thinking that they either work or they don’t in our favor. We make things that we don’t feel great about wrong or we find some kind of silver lining and make it right rather than being real and raw with ourselves about the situation. The reality is, we can't fully appreciate something that we're not willing to be fully open and honest about!

Sometimes the best prep for a powerful experience is simply the mundane sh*t you know you have to get done. Join me in today's Surfing Lesson!

It's so damn easy to judge surfers and waves from the pier! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Someone is always watching you. You can either be proud or hide. The choice is yours!

Good swell, great swell, poor swell, downright terrible swell... No matter the swell, it's up to YOU and you alone to choose to enjoy it!

To be able to truly appreciate and connect with others, we must first heal and love the little child inside us all... Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Yes it's cold jumping into the ocean naked in the middle of November. But... The body adapts quickly! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges. In fact, when things are easy and we get comfortable, if we stay there, we tend to get bored... And bad things happen! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

It still amazes me when some guys talk about how they will not pee in their suits unless it's an "emergency"... Because of sharks... Because it's gross... Because it can mess up a wetsuit... For whatever reason, they choose to clench, hold the pee in, complain, and even rush out of the water so they can relieve themselves.

In order to stay connected to the wave and keep it going, you must squat down to its level. Stand up tall above it like a badass and FALL as you lose connecting with the energy of the wave. The same is true in relationships!

Some waves, you're either in or your out. If you are at all interested in merely "trying" to make it, you will DIE. The forces of nature and the forces of life simply don't care about your interest or your "trying." They require your clear commitment.

Man I've been sick! My nose is constantly either stuffed or dripping, or somehow both! And I need that ocean!! Without it, I'm left sniffling constantly through my conversations, blowing my nose every few minutes, and dripping all over the place! But in the ocean, I'm free and I get to get clear and ready my sinuses.

Your fears and insecurities play a large part in the giant pool of emotions inside your mind and body that drive you. Do you give yourself permission to freely be yourself? Or do you expend the majority of your energy hiding and covering yourself up?

A system that works and works well can mean all the difference inside the operations and fulfillment of a company, a family, a community, a relationship, and yes...a SURFING SESSION!

The energy in the ocean that drives the wave will always be there. It's been there since before you and I were born. And will be there after we're our last breath. You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. Anger and rage is no different, my friends. You can either resist it and become victim of it in yourself and others, Or you can learn to live and lead with it. Your fear can either create terror and distrust around you, Or it can be the ferociousness everyone has been waiting for to be inspired to experience the next level of life! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Sitting out in the middle of the ocean on your surfboard gives you the perfect opportunity to practice being present. Most of us live the vast majority of our lives either in the past or future. But the past is gone. And future is yet to come. All we have is the present. All we have is now. Live NOW, squarely in the present, and give yourself the chance to experience life. Feel the air. Hear your breathe. See the birds. Feel the ocean. Taste the salt on your lips. Listen to your heart. FEEL your heart. Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Black widow in my wetsuit. Need I say anything more?! Thank God that the importance of paying attention to details have been driven into me since I was a kid.

Surfing has changed my life. It is the first sport I've committed to that the only person I compete with is myself, the man i see in the mirror every day. And because I'm only competing with myself, for the first time, I had nothing to prove for my ego. Now this ☝

The recent Southern California fires are no joke. My heart goes out to the families impacted. Yet this morning I saw something magnificent. The greatest traumas and pain give birth to the greatest gifts and glory. Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Notice the difference in life between your regular paddle strokes, your strokes that are merely gestures, and the POWER strokes that keep you going well after you've completed the stroke. Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

One of the best ways to get some great habits started that will lead to results quickly is to simply ADD. Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Your body, your surfboard, your wetsuit, your posture, the way you paddle... EVERYTHING about you is telling a story whether it is true or not. Everyone is making assumptions about you. Become more compelling and inspiring and respected and overall powerful by being aware of the story you are telling through your physique, posture and everything else. Maximize the your packaging and marketing, maximize your impact and legacy! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Go all out. Don't save energy for the paddle back. When you're a badass, you'll always find something more, something greater inside you to make a way! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Are you letting your fears define you? Or do you CHOOSE to define yourself by your commitment! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

It's time to get clear on the elements that make you come alive and cut out the ones that are killing you from the inside out. Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

Sometimes when the opportunity comes, you have to say f**k the rules and traditions, the mechanics and what's "appropriate"... When your commitment becomes so great that you're willing to do whatever the f**k it takes to make it happen, NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS THINK OR SAY, That's when you'll see your "miracle"

You want results? It's time to STOP

Sometimes when you get on a wave, no matter how much you pump your surfboard or how far up on the nose you position yourself, the wave just fizzles out. It can make you question your skills and competence as a surfer. It make you question if you're board works the type of waves you're surfing. It can make you question if you picked the right surf break, the right tide, or time of day to surf. But sometimes it means that you need to go catch another wave. Fizzling waves is just part of the game! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

When you paddle through tons of seaweed, it can become challenging. Even a complete pain in the a$$. But it's just considered part of the surfing experience. Part of the game. Dead seaweed is an entirely different matter. It literally makes the water and the air sink. It will make you stink and maybe even get you sick. Don't be the dead seaweed! Join me in today's Surfing Lessons episode

The desire for acceptance is SO strong inside me, even to this day. Yet at the end of the day, the only one I am ultimately seeking acceptance from is the man in the mirror looking back at me. When he accepts me, or better yet, acknowledges and is absolutely PROUD of me, it's game over.