Save Your Paddle

There is a part of surfing that I am not particularly good at.

Sitting out there. The waiting.

I want to catch a wave. I want to be doing something. When you've been sitting there for a while, almost any approaching lump of water starts looking worth a paddle. 

You are watching the water.

Looking for the darker line on the horizon.

Trying to work out where the next wave will break.Whether you are in the right place.Whether you should paddle further out, move across, or stay exactly where you are.

And, if you are me, deciding whether that approaching lump of water looks exciting or slightly too ambitious. 😁 You don't actually want every wave.

Some are wrong for where you're sitting. Some are simply more wave than you want to deal with.

And every time you paddle hard for the wrong one, you use energy and often end up out of position for the one you actually wanted.

A lot of life is about positioning yourself for the next wave that suits you. That means:

• Knowing what you are looking for.

• Putting yourself somewhere it is more likely to find you.

• Paying attention when it starts coming.

And: being patient enough not to paddle for the wrong thing simply because you are tired of waiting. 

The waiting can be frustrating. You can wonder whether you are in the wrong place; watch other people catch waves and start questioning whether you should be where they are.

Remember that their wave isn't necessarily your wave. Very often the better decision is to stay where you are and keep watching. Save your paddle for the one you actually want.

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