Stoke Is A Verb


stoke-is-a-verb

Surfers use the word stoke a lot. “I was so stoked yesterday, the waves were firing.” They use stoke in place of happy, joy or fun.

They use it to describe the way surfing makes them feel.

However, a traditional English dictionary version of the word stoke is: To stir up and feed a fire; To tend a fire.

This definition of stoke is a verb. An action.

Something we must DO, not just feel. It is not a passive word. We must take an active role in our own happiness. We must be the driver of our joy, not merely a bystander waiting for it to arrive.

This resonates with me in surfing and the exhilaration I get from this crazy, fantastic sport. This love of surfing I have is a fire that burns deep within. The more I surf, the more I stoke the flames of that love, that fire.

When I am not surfing, it smolders; the embers become tiny, almost infinitesimal.

When the flames are at their peak, I am able to transfer this joy to my life on the sand.

When my joy is not being tended to, it’s as if a part of me is at risk of being extinguished.

[Tweet “When my joy is not being tended to, part of me is at risk of being extinguished.”]

This is a cyclical process.

I surf . . . I feel stoked . . . my positive vibe grows . . . I want to surf more. This stoke, the feeling of joy, can be transferred to all areas of my life.

The reverse is also true.

I am out of the water . . . I feel out of sync . . . My positive vibe is harder to find.  I start replacing surfing with other things. I lose my stoke, my joy, and part of myself.

I have learned many things through surfing. The understanding that it is never too late to step out of my box and try something new. The insight that when I challenge my comfort zone, I make new discoveries about myself. The revelation that I am continually changing and flourishing.

[Tweet “When I challenge my comfort zone, I make new discoveries about myself”]

To honor what surfing stirs in me and maintain this growth, I must continue to feed and tend this fire. I must nurture this love of surfing because in doing so, I am nurturing my soul.

This “feeding of the fire” is essential. Not just as a surfer, but as a person. As someone who wants to live their life with “stoke,” with light, with optimism, with playfulness, and with an exuberance for life.

By nurturing my stoke, I am making my happiness a priority.

Surfing is not the only means to this end.

Everyone has their own source of joy.

The question that remains is how are you stoking or feeding the flames of your happiness?

[Tweet “How are you stoking the flames of your happiness?”]

Salty Kisses,

If you’d like more ideas on how to feed the flames of your happiness, sign up for my monthly newsletter below.


7 responses to “Stoke Is A Verb”

  1. “….when I challenge my comfort zone, I make new discoveries about myself.” That brought tears to my eyes because that’s exactly what I’m afraid of ~ making new discoveries seems so scary. I love your honesty and reflection. Xo~ Annie

  2. Love reading your posts! I am so impressed by your ability to express and articulate the emotions and joy the water (and my surf peeps) bring into our world! You girls are pretty damn cool!!!