I have been surfing for more than 15 years and I would say I have a pretty good command of the sport. I am too old to surf huge, gnarly waves and have the s*** scared out of me, but I like to challenge myself in decent sized conditions.

I have many goals and dreams in life. One of them is to become a better surfer. Specifically to be barreled.

This is just one of the myriad of dreams I have.

In order for any of my dreams to become reality, there is a lot of work that needs to happen. It does no good to just think about a dream, I have to act. I need to set goals and work toward that dream.

And although I would consider myself a better than average surfer, I still have a fair amount of wipe outs.

As with all dreams and goals, there are times where I inevitably feel defeated. Like “Really? This is hard. I’m not making any progress. Why am I doing this?”

What I try to remind myself is that life is a journey. As are my dreams.

And no matter how proficient I am in something, I will never fully arrive.

Even Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton, arguably two of the best surfers in the world, are still works in progress. They too have days where things are just off.

“Wiping out is an underappreciated skill.” Laird Hamilton

If you are struggling, feeling like you aren’t making progress or if you aren’t feeling successful, remember some days are just like that.

Some days we will start out on top, feeling like we are on the right track.

But then, as soon as we gain momentum, we realize things are not going well.

Disaster is inevitable. Inside we just know it.

We brace ourselves, to minimize pain.

And despite our best efforts, we end up crashing and burning.

Bad days suck. They aren’t any fun. But we need to remember it is a bad day. We are not a bad person. This is not a bad life.

It’s just a bad day.

The key is to take what we are given today and learn from it so we can be better tomorrow. In whatever area that may be. Whether it’s becoming a better surfer, a better chef, a better writer, a better basket weaver, a better electrician or a better friend. Whether it’s getting better with patience, with forgiveness, with kindness, or with courage.

Whatever it is, the goal is to be better tomorrow.

When we accept our mistakes as teaching tools, we can continue putting one foot in front of the other, continue learning, and we will flourish.

There will be struggles along the way.

There will be bad days.

But remember, some days are just like that. This “bad day” is still one step toward our dream.

It is a stepping stone to where we want to be.

The only way we can truly fail is if we stop trying. Click To Tweet

The mistakes, the unsuccessful attempts, the bad decisions; they are all part of the process.

They help us learn. They help us grow. They strengthen us.

Like Laird, let’s look at wipeouts in life as a skill. Something that can help us get to where we want to be.

So don’t be afraid of the bad days. The wipe outs.

Be afraid of quitting. Be afraid of giving up.

Be afraid of refusing to get up when you fall.

But never be afraid of the mistakes.

Because in life, like in surfing, sometimes it is about learning to fall well. Click To Tweet

It is about learning to handle the wipe outs with humility. It is about getting back up and paddling back out there.

Because who knows, the next wave, the next attempt, just may be the one that will take you on the ride of your life.

Salty Kisses,

Karen