Ride the Waves. How a Surfer Mentality Can Help You Flow with Life's Highs and Lows

Life has its ups and downs - highs and lows we can't always control. Most of us cling tight to the good times and resist the bad times. We get frustrated when things don't go as planned.

Surfers have a different mentality. They don't fight the waves - they flow with them. They find joy in each moment, even if it doesn't last. When they wipe out, they laugh it off and paddle back out for more.

Surfers celebrate the present while welcoming new waves on the horizon. They don't judge themselves for falling - it's part of learning. Their skills improve through practice and perseverance.

I believe we can all benefit from a "surfer mentality." By riding life's ups and downs with optimism and resilience, we can find calmness and joy. Challenges will keep coming, but so will gifts if we learn to go with the flow.

Surfers show us skillfulness matters more than size. Progress comes through repeated cycles of attempting, falling, learning. There is joy to be found when we're present in each swell life offers.

Enjoy the Ride, Whatever Comes

Unlike surfers, we often fixate on holding onto positive experiences, trying to make them last forever. But the nature of life is change - the only constant is that nothing stays constant.

Surfers intrinsically understand this. They don't resist a wave's impermanence but lean into each moment. They celebrate the surge of acceleration, the spray of saltwater, the feeling of hydrodynamic flow.

Of course, all rides eventually end. The surfers get plunged into churning whitewash or the wave closes out. They simply pop back up, paddling out to await the next swell.

Can we embrace life's ups and downs with similar ease? Each peak, each trough is just part of the ride. By fully engaging each moment, we access flow states more often.

When we cling or resist, we suffer. Accepting impermanence frees us up for joy now.

As Thích Nhất Hạnh put it: "The wave does not need to die to become water. The wave is already water." Remember this truth as you flow through fleeting experiences. Drink in each moment while it lasts.

There Are Always More Waves

Unlike many ocean sports, surfers don't seek to conquer or overpower the waves. The wave is not the enemy but a partner in the dance. Surfers work with the ocean's natural movement.

Yes, some waves are scary giants that pummel you. But there's always another wave. Paddle back out with patience.

This cycle repeats endlessly, gifting more joy than pain over time. Turbulent periods pass if we persist. Each low makes the next high sweeter.

Life too follows cyclical swells of fortune. Challenges dissolve into positive momentum again. But we must trust the cycle and patiently await new swells after getting dashed.

Cultivating a surfer mentality means knowing more rippable waves are coming if you have the fortitude to outlast the churn. We too will catch breathless rides again soon. Ride the tides through buoyant optimism.

Skillfulness Matters More than Size

Big, perfectly formed waves get all the hype. But skilled surfers can have just as much fun ripping smaller, imperfect waves. Their artistry finds the joy.

We too should find fulfillment in simple pleasures, not just dramatic peak experiences. Appreciate daily gifts amidst the grind - a good cup of coffee, quality time with loved ones, a moment of quiet contemplation.

Even small daily pleasures can provide flow when we give them full presence. Be here now.

Of course, stunning 10-foot barrels are still a thrill. But a master finds joy in all waves, while remaining ready for that epic swell. Maintain this beginner's mindset in your own life - appreciate each moment, but welcome grand adventures too.

Wiping Out is Part of the Journey

Even expert surfers wipe out regularly. They surface, gasp for air, and keep paddling out. Wiping out is just part of the ride.

Can we accept setbacks and failures with similar resilience? Each wipeout makes us savvier. Our skills evolve through the cycle of attempting, falling, learning, reengaging with more wisdom. Each time we paddle back out, we expand our capacities.

With a surfer mentality, we don't judge ourselves for failures or allow them to deflate our spirit. We recognize falling as essential to learning. Each wipeout brings valuable lessons to apply next time for a smoother ride. Progress rides these peaks and valleys.

By flowing with the ride's natural cadence, surfers access more joy and growth than resisting reality could ever provide. There will always be both exhilarating rides and sharp falls. This too shall pass. What matters is that you retain the optimism to paddle back out and catch the next wave.

Ripples of Our Efforts Widen

There's another beautiful life lesson surfing teaches. When surfers harness a wave's momentum, they can ride faster and execute more radical manoeuvres. But those manoeuvres also create ripples that gradually widen to affect other surfers nearby.

The peaks and falls of our lives similarly create ripples. Our actions compound, their effects multiplying over time and space to touch lives we may never know.

So make sure your ripples add value, not harm. Leave each person uplifted in your wake. Aim not just to ride with skill but to spread positivity far and wide.

Plant seeds of compassion that grow touching more lives than you can fathom. Make your ripples a blessing.

Catch the Flow, Wherever You Are

You may be landlocked, but anyone can cultivate a surfer mentality. By leaning into moments, skillfully riding what comes, wiping out with grace, and spreading kindness - these habits help us flow better with life's nonlinear rhythms.

The choice is yours. Will you resist reality's waves or learn to surf their cadence with poise?

Flow with changes to access abiding happiness, not fleeting pleasure. You've got this! Now paddle out there and catch that next wave.

© Buzzedison

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First published on Medium