Surfing

It’s beach week for the Clark Family in beautiful Corolla, North Carolina!  Even on vacation, the blog must go on!  Since all the kids LOVE the ocean,  my brother-in-law rented surfboards for the whole crew.   Everyone took a shot getting up on the board and it was truly enjoyable to both participate and observe.   So what can surfing teach us about leading a resilient life?  Everything!

Surfing, like life, is a skill that is learned through trial and error.  Very few of us hang a perfect ten on the first attempt.  You will fall off the board.  You will get knocked around.   Sometimes you are too early and get swamped by the wave or too late and miss the wave entirely.  You get frustrated and wonder why it comes so easily to others around you.  But if you keep at it, eventually, everything comes together.  Your timing is perfect, the wave is perfect, the break is perfect and soon you are knifing through the water like a champion.  There is no greater feeling!  But how many of us give up after the first few attempts?  If we are new to a job, and the sales do not come easily, do we quickly look for greener pastures?  If we are starting our own business, and we experience initial failure, do we give up and go back to the safety of cubicle life?  Sometimes we join a company and it is too early in the product cycle.  Mobile advertising was “the next big thing” for 10 years before the iPhone made it the next big thing.  You need patience.  Sometimes we join a company too late in the product life cycle and the market is already saturated.  It is time to catch the next wave.  Nothing worthwhile comes easily.   Push through those initial setbacks and keep moving forward.  There is an incredible feeling of exhilaration and confidence waiting for you if you simply get back on that board and give it another shot.

Wiping out is an underappreciated skill — Laird Hamilton

Speaking of waves, they come in all sizes and shapes.  Some look perfect at the crest, but ultimately peter out and go nowhere.  Some start slowly but gather steam late in the crest and provide the perfect ride.  Others have a nice initial crest but then have a second break late in the wave that packs an even greater punch.  In the same way, some relationships start off so promising only to disappoint in the end.  Some partnerships initially look like they will propel your business forward, only to ultimately drag your team down.  Beware of the wave that looks like it cannot lose.  It might be too good to be true.  Conversely, there are many relationships, both business and personal, that start slowly but, if you give it enough time, ultimately gather steam and deliver a thrilling experience.  Like surfing, it requires patience to power through the initial difficulty. Finally, how many businesses have we either joined or started that initially do well but have trouble maintaining their momentum?  Stagnant markets, new competitors, and a difficult economy can challenge the long-term success of any business.  Many do not have the resilience to power through to that late-breaking second wave.  Stalwart companies such as Apple, PayPal, Under Armour, and AOL each experienced initial success before plateauing with their original business models.  But they were able to persevere, reinvent themselves and catch an amazing second wave of success.   If you are patient and savvy, you will catch that second wave and experience a level of success you never thought possible.  Upon initial review, it can be difficult to tell all of these different waves apart.  But, over time, you will begin to recognize the similarities and trends of the most successful string of waves.   The perfect wave is out there waiting for you.  You just have to keep looking!

One final note about the ocean.  Sitting back on the deck at sunset, it is amazing to see the string of waves that just kept coming on shore.  They never stop rolling.  In the same way, the opportunities for success are endless.  Choose your wave wisely.  And do not fear failure.   You will get knocked off your board.  You will fail.  But unless you get back up on that board, you will never experience the sheer thrill and exhilaration of triumph through perseverance.  The water is perfect.  Jump on in and ride your next wave to success and happiness!

Until next week, keep smiling!