Beginner Mindset

I lived on the beach in Venice for almost a full year before I picked up surfing. For those who know how much I’ve come to love the sport, I imagine this comes as an utter shock. But, in truth, I prevented myself from starting because I was blocked. I let my fears hold me back from giving it a shot.

I was afraid to fall in front of the other surfers. I didn’t want to look like an idiot. As a lifelong A+ perfectionist, I didn’t want to pursue something that I knew I wouldn’t be good at. So, I stayed on the sidelines for ~9 months, until my friend, Chris, had a dream. He burst out of his room one morning and proclaimed:

“I just had a dream. I was surfing a wave and it was insane. I’m gonna give it a shot today. Do you wanna join?”

Turns out, Chris shared my same fears. But his subconscious finally told him:

“No more being blocked. Time to hop on the board.”

I’m grateful for Chris, his subconscious, and the “I Had A Dream” speech that he so eloquently delivered. Because it finally exposed my block for what it was: unexamined fear.

I was afraid to be a Beginner. But is there any other way to start anything?

Of course I was going to fall on my first few tries. I’m not an expert at everything.

I had to be willing to fall at first. I had to be willing to fail out there in the open.

The moment I got over the insecurity of being judged as a Beginner, the world of surfing opened up to me. Finally, the work of getting better could begin. I realized that I wouldn’t get any closer to becoming “a surfer” by simply talking about it. Even if I bought a board, lived by the ocean, and hung out with a bunch of surfer friends, the only way I could become “a surfer” myself was to dive in and start paddling.

Chris’s dream was Step 1 of our Act 2 in Venice. We were no longer just living by the ocean. Now… we’d started surfing it.

P.S. - I’m beyond grateful to Brace for his coaching in the early days. He was the expert among us. And he showed immense patience for his two Beginner friends.

P.P.S. - I’m also extremely grateful to Connor for lending me his board for that first session. A 9’0” Paragon, on top of which I caught my first wave. Once I rode the blue dragon, I was hooked. Thank you, Connor, for supplying the gateway to my addiction.