Passing it on

Do you have something you love and want to

share with the ones you care about? What do you

hope they'll get from your sharing? What lessons

and experiences are you hoping they'll learn? We

Surfers love to share the stoke. Why?

Two recent experiences put me in touch with our

desire to "pass it on" to others. I took both my grandkids

to the beach the other morning. We strolled along the sand,

looked at shells and sand crabs, and Simon (my grandson)

walked on the deck of a surfboard. He smiled as he walked.

Thanks to the boards rocker, as he approached its' nose,

the board bounced a bit. Rather than getting scared he laughed

and moved closer to the nose bouncing as he went. As soon as

he reached the end he put his little toes

over the edge, spun around, and walked back to the tail laughing

all the way. Simon walked and bounced about 10 times before

it was time to go home. He didn't want to leave. It was too much

fun, this walking on a board. I thought a lot, as we headed home,

about just how much I want to "pass on" surfing and all its' lessons

to my grandkids.

There is a photo and podcast posted on Jim Moriarty's blog

Ocean Beaches and Waves (www.oceansbeachesandwaves.blogspot.com)

of Norman Ollestad. Ollestad is the author of the best selling book

"Crazy for the Storm". The photo, podcast, and the book all

touch upon the same theme "passing it on". Ollestad speaks of the

lessons his father taught him in the surf and how those lessons saved

his life. He also spoke about his wish to "pass it on" to his own children.

Surfing and our love for all it has to offer touches us in ways we feel

compelled to share. Despite the crowds, despite it's popularity we

still want to share not only the stoke but the real lessons to be learned

from the surfing life.

Sustainability

I love Yvon Chouinard the founder of

Patagonia. He is a surfer, fisherman, hiker,

climber, a businessman, and an environmental

hero. If you aren't familiar with Patagonia and

the company's philosophy you should be. Do some

reading and get Chouinard's book "Let my people

go surfing" and it just might change your perspective

on your own habits. Check out some of the talks he's

given that are posted on YouTube. "Live an examined

life, examine everything you do" is Yvon's credo.

In my office I call it mindfulness or intentionality.

You might also see it as doing what you do on purpose.

Living an intentional, mindful life can make you happier

healthier, and give you more peace. The Patagonia philosophy

asks the same thing of business. Act intentionally, live, consume,

and even manufacture in an examined purposeful way.

The best consumer is one who consumes less. Simplify

your life in order to make it sustainable. You'll feel a nice

sense of freedom when you do. As I've written before,

resources, whether they be our human resources or the earth's

are finite. Make them last.

Healing

The human body has an infinite ability to

heal itself. The human psyche is also an amazing thing.

Working together the mind and the body can work

what some might think are miracles. They can't

however, work their miracles without action on your part,

without your help.

A wound will heal if you keep it clean and bandaged

properly. A bone will heal if you help it along by

proper rest, nutrition, and time. A spirit can heal

with the help of others, a reframing of how you

look at a problem, and a belief.

My cast came off today! The healing of my broken ankle

continues. My spirit is soaring knowing that I can return

to the ocean. My doctor told me I can swim, paddle, bike

ride, kyak,fish and return to pretty much everything that does not

require impact. "Let it heal a bit more before popping up

on your board" he told me. "No worries" I replied with

my spirit high. Can't wait to get wet. How do others do it

I wonder? How do they heal without the ocean, without surfing?

Don't ask for permission, beg for forgiveness

This morning the waves at the end of my street were

really, really good. Another morning of light offshores

and surf. My patience continues to be put to the test.

Let's see that's 9 days in a row 15 out of the 24 days that I've

been sidelined. "Patience grasshopper" my friends all say.

"I don't even want to tell you how good it is" caring friends

are saying. " I won;t even talk about it." At least I've

learned to laugh and take some pleasure at

being called "the sacrifice".

Today is the kind of day that surfers scheme and try to

figure out all sorts of ways to blow off work and shirk most

other responsibilities. Bosses get called, lawns don't get mowed,

kids get taken to sitters all to stay in the water as much as

possible. Days like today, and stretches like this, are rare

and impressive.

As I sat watching and mindsurfing in the early morning

sunlight I heard my friend Ryan tell another surfer who

was about to call his wife and ask if he could stay out a bit longer.

" today's the kind of day you don't ask permission, you

surf and beg for forgiveness later." How true.

Ground Hog Day Mindsurfing

When asked by the anchor person about the weather

forecast for today, the t.v. meteorologist smiled and

replied "you know that movie Ground Hogs Day where

every day is an exact replica of the day before it?".

That's what we've been dealing with here in NJ for about

2 months. Each day is about the same with clouds, grey

skies, and some rain. If you are a golf fan and watched the

US Open you saw firsthand.

The flip side of this weather has been the surf. The low

pressure system that is, in part, responsible for this sameness

is also responsible for a pretty decent stretch of rideable surf.

Since I broke my ankle 22 days ago and since then there's

been plenty of surf....figures.

I've watched loads of waves being ridden

and have actually been mindsurfing plenty of them myself.

Watching from the beach I feel myself paddle, pop up, and ride each

wave I see. I can actually feel my body respond, feel my muscles

react as set my back foot, turn, float a section, or hit the lip. I've

not always been mindsurfing the same board either. Some days

I've used my fish, a few days my log, and others my Skip Frye egg.

Curoiusly I've not yet tried my bonzer or quad yet. My body

doesn't yet know how they'll feel. Kind of weird isn't it?

I've taught many clients about using mental imagery for a host

of different purposes. It's a blast to have yet another opportunity

to use it myself, to gain deeper insight into its' power. Still, I can't

wait to get back in the water but for now...gotta go, there are perfect

little peelers I need to ride. Not sure which board I'll use yet.

Hope, optimism and sadness

If there is one thing we, as surfers, seem to have

it's a sense of hopefulness. We are always hoping

that there will be waves, that the wind will be right,

that it won't be too crowded etc. etc. Hope and

a sense of optimism are wonderful and sustaining things.

Sadly, when one has lost that sense of hope, lost all

optimism, life can seem unbearable. I'm sure we all

know of someone like that, someone who has given

up hope and adopted the perspective of pessimism.

All they can see is darkness and despair. They become

convinced that the waves will never get better. They confuse

feelings for facts.

I've been touched, once again, by another death of someone

I know. Unfortunately, they'd been consumed by hopelessness

and pessimism for many months. They were suffering believing

that their feelings were facts. How sad to end the human

experience in such a way. How unfortunate that they

were unable to believe that despite all the rain, clouds,

wind, and cold, a new swell will come, the wind will again blow

offshore, the sun will come out. I can only take some comfort

knowing that at least I was with them for the final parts of their

journey listening, sharing and trying to help provide some

hope and optimism. Trying to let them know feelings and facts

are two different things.

All I can do now is remember, feel touched by their spirit, and

learn yet another lesson as I surf the waves of life.

Adaptation

At one time or another every surfer, I dare say, every

person has to make some sort of adaptation, some sort

of adjustment to the things the ocean and life throw at us.

You don't ride a soft mushy beach break wave the same way

you ride a a hollow, ledgy, reef break. You can't use the same

board to ride Tres Palmas or Sunset as you do to ride Malibu.

We all have to make adjustments is our approach and in our

lives.

Often I see clients who have a difficult time making adjustments

and adapting to new situations. Sometimes it's a change in their

job status, sometimes it's the loss of a loved one, at other times

it might be adapting to a chronic illness, whatever it is we all

must learn to adjust and adapt.

As trite as it may sound, I've had to make my own adaptations

and adjustments as I heal from a broken ankle. I can't, or should

I more accurately say, should not be walking or putting too much

weight on my ankle. That means no surfing, walking, or running.

So how do I get my cardiovascular exercise in? How can I do my

yoga? How can I have physical fun? The answer is simple...adapt.

There are plenty of yoga postures I can do. There are plenty of

strength training exercises I can do. If I speed up my workout I

can get my heart rate going. If I eat less I don't have to worry about

the calories I am not burning. I can hang out with my friends,

enjoy being with, and watching them. Get pleasure from their

pleasure.

How are you adapting to the changes life has presented to you?

Are you trying to do the same thing the same way? Is your thinking

stuck? Are you feeling so insecure or afraid to make change? Try it.

Change your perspective, change your board, change the way you

ride the waves of your life. See these things as a challenge not a threat.

It's fun.