One of my favorite things to do when I’m at the beach is watching the surfers. It’s incredible seeing how effortlessly they ride each wave, moving along with the rhythm of the water. They are so in control of the board, their bodies, and their future at that moment. Every movement is intentional and timed perfectly in order to keep them on their feet. I’m in awe of how fearless surfers are. No matter the sharks or sea life, no matter the size of the wave, they’re still dedicated to their sport, that the rest just doesn’t faze them. However, that’s only one side of the beach. On the other side of the beach are the beginners. Watching the beginners surf is like watching a child learn to walk. A toddler may waddle a few steps and then fall, while a surfer may be able to stand up on their board for a couple of seconds before they end up right back where they started, in the water. With each wipeout, I cringe a little bit and then wait to see if they’ll give up or if they choose to get right back on. What I respect about beginner surfers is that I always see them get back on. No matter how many times they get knocked off or tousled in a wave they turn around and start paddling out to catch the next one. Even when we think someone may have it all together, the majority of the time they don’t. Even the most experienced surfers wipe out. On the contrary, we may feel that as beginners we are struggling and wonder if we’ll ever be like the pros. Yet we have to remind ourselves that every pro started as a beginner. Life is so much like surfing. We are all on different paths, with different experience levels so we cannot compare ourselves to one another. We are all surfing our own waves, some are bigger and more daunting, some are choppy and uncertain, some waves are easy and predictable. We can’t change the waves once they’re headed towards us and we can’t stop them, but we can learn how to surf. So Hang Loose, and enjoy the ride!

Florian Mihr