SURFING I grew up at the beach , and some part of me has always wanted to learn how to surf since I was a teenager . I don ' t really know what held me back , but life happens , and we get busy . Now that I ' m in my 40s , my back is a little achy , and my abs are not what they were before I was pregnant with my second child , it may seem like a strange time to pursue this dream . But if not now , then when ? A few months ago , a yoga school I follow posted an ad for a surf and yoga retreat in Costa Rica , and I felt that longing again . While I couldn ' t go to the retreat this summer ( maybe next summer !), I did remember that years ago , I had found a balance board to train people on how to surf and gain core strength muscles necessary for the sport . With birthday money from family in hand , I finally found the wooden training surfboard and made the purchase . I ' ll admit , I got a little giddy just thinking of how I ' d finally allowed myself to follow that dream after almost 30 years . As I write this article , the board is literally arriving today , so by the time this goes to publication , I will have had the board for a month . Therefore , I can ' t write about my experience with the board yet , only tell you these couple of takeaways :
1 . Don ' t ignore those dreams and longings that have been in your heart . It doesn ' t matter how old you are or how you physically feel compared to when you were younger . You will only keep getting older , and eventually , there might come a time when it ' s " too late ." Don ' t let that be right now .
2 . When it comes to exploring an athletic activity , there is always a way to explore your dreams safely at whatever level you are at , keeping any physical limitations in mind . For example , I am starting with an indoor board to build up my core muscles and bought the equivalent of training wheels for it on top of that . I ' m starting small , and as I get stronger ; I will be able to remove the training pads or even attend a surf school class at a beach .
3 . It ' s natural to be scared . I have thoughts pop into my head like , what if I ' m never able to stand up on a board ? Perhaps I can thank being in my 40s now and not caring as much as I might have when I was younger , but when those thoughts pop into my head , the immediate next thought now is , " ok , so what ?". Let ' s say I never can stand up on a board , or I wipe out as soon as I do . Then what ? Do I seriously care what others think if I ' m out here trying my best and my best isn ' t good enough to do traditional surfing ? I honestly loved boogie boarding as a kid and could easily ride the waves . Maybe my best is doing a boogie boarding equivalent on a surfboard . If so , I ' m pretty sure it will still be fun , and I can rest knowing I did my best . I can also try my hand at stand-up paddleboarding ( SUP ) on the lake since my training will have prepared me well for it . We can ' t spend our time worrying about getting hurt or about people possibly judging us . Our dreams are there , ready and waiting for us .
Chances are , you know what those 1-2 secret longings are for you . If not , and you feel like there ' s something you want to explore , but you ' re just not sure what , here are a couple of tips to help find it :
• Search the local parks and recreation flyers or websites , art school websites , and other general areas of interest . Even if the course is for children , if it makes you wish there were an adult equivalent , then you know that is something you want to pursue .
• Think about what you think is " cool " and what you wish to do but feel like you never could . Maybe it ' s running a marathon , writing poetry , or singing . Heck , maybe it ' s just dyeing your hair a different color or exploring veganism . What does that inner teenager or child want that they never got ? What did you stop yourself from doing because you didn ' t think you were talented enough , smart enough , or cool enough ? Ok , maybe getting a tongue ring and going skydiving might be dreams you don ' t feel you align with anymore , but do they evoke a feeling for you that you ' d like to have now ? Journal through the ideas and things you have wanted over the years and see what still feels like it needs to be expressed . Don ' t dismiss any of your dreams , no matter how silly , childish , or out of reach , they may seem .
Allow yourself to take in and receive the gift of letting your creativity and joy be expressed . You are worth investing time in--It ' s not too late to follow your dreams . We all deserve to explore our hobbies , and our lives are richer for them . Do not fall into the trap of believing that pursuing your interests will derail you from the other things in your life , such as running your own business , working on your career , raising your kids , taking care of aging parents , or other responsibilities that you may have . You are a full human being with diverse interests and a desire to express and shine the kaleidoscope of who you are to the world . There is no better time than the present to do so . All it takes is a few minutes a day , or even just a couple of times a week . Carve out and invest that time in yourself and claim that you are a ( n ) fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-you-want-here . This summer , after 30 years of waiting , I ' m stepping fully into being an artist and a surfer and being a beginner at both . I ' m excited to see what
you will finally become this summer too .
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