The secret to long term success

I was at a big stand up paddle board race with my friend Bill, watching the pros battle it out for the big bucks in the sprint race. I was amazed at how deftly they could maneuver at high speed around eight cones on the course, zipping through 180-degree turns while simultaneously surfing waves four feet high.

I was scared to death of waves and equally afraid of the turns, so I always stayed away from such races. As the race leaders rounded the cone closest to the beach, I asked Bill why the pros were so much better than we were, and without hesitation he said, “They’re not afraid to fall in”.

We spend much of our time avoiding waves in our lives – staying in a bad relationship or a dead end job – just because it’s familiar and comfortable. However, the waves are the only thing that can launch you to the next level in your life, and those who learn how to surf the big waves and maneuver around the turns will ultimately reach their goals.

Yes, you’ll fall off that board over and over again. You’ll get pulled under. You’ll get sand in your shorts. Like the pros, you’ll fall down seven times and stand up eight. You’ll ride your first wave in no time. The confidence that comes from handling the smaller waves will lead you to the bigger ones. In other words, confidence in dealing with change is something you earn through practice, not something you’re born with.

The courageous part lies in getting your feet wet and paddling out every day, falling over and over again, and earning that confidence. What changes do you need to make? Why are you still standing on the shore? Are you so afraid to fall that you’ll never experience the joy of riding that surfboard to the next level of success in your life?

If you do fall, what will happen? You’ll swim back to shore and start again. You may be a little wet and winded, but you’ll gain the wisdom and experience to stay on that board a little longer the next time. The only real failure is when you choose not to paddle out again the next day or never to leave the shore at all.

Will you be the person who tried, failed, tried again, and could eventually surf any wave of change in their lives? Will you be the person who stood on the shoreline and ventured nothing?

The most meaningful experiences in life are often not simple, and not something we can easily accomplish on the first try. If it were easy, everyone would do it. The people who are living their dreams fell down seven times and stood up eight, or nine, or even ten times – or however many times it took. Don’t miss catching the next wave of your life because you’re going to get a little wet.

Robin Benincasa

Robyn Benincasa is a World Champion Adventure Racer, 3x Guinness World Record Kayaker, City of San Diego Firefighter, 10x Ironman Triathlete, sought-after leadership speaker, New York Times Bestselling author of How Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership Lessons from the Toughest Teams on Earth, proud owner of 2 bionic metal hips, and the Founder and CEO of The 501c3 Project Athena Foundation, which helps survivors live an adventurous dream as part of their recovery. In her spare time, Robyn's favorite hobby is inspiring people to do insane, life affirming things like run their first triathlon, start their own business, hike the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, or kayak and ride 100 miles from Key Largo to Key West. For more information visit RobynBenincasa.com and ProjectAthena.org.

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