kryptonite
Everybody goes through a funk at some time in their lives. Recently saw a friend who I've always felt was larger than life. My friend has been through a lot, but could conquer anything, naturally equipped with the right tools and mentality to take over the world. Something was definitely different upon this meeting, it almost didn't feel right. It was very humbling to see because to me, my friend was a giant who has been an inspiration to me as someone who simply goes for what he wants and never looks back. In the past, just being around my friend inspired me to stand a little taller, work a little harder, and reach a little further in life.
My friend had been going through some rough times and it was easily apparent that the wear and tear of trials and burdens had begun to eat away at his confidence and wore him out both physically and mentally. It felt like being around a hero of yours after losing their super powers. I remember sitting and listening to him, wishing I could help in any way that I could. It just didn't seem right to see someone with so much promise and so much talent being stripped of his confidence having been down on his luck.
I guess lately I've been going through some rough patches myself and sometimes the best way to overcome our trials in life is to learn to forget yourself through serving and helping out others. At the time, I couldn't do much but offer support and listen to my friend. As I think about how it felt and what it was like being there for my friend, I realized that at that moment in time, I forgot about myself as my mind was focused on doing what I could to help another.
To me, there is something refreshing when it comes to living at the moment. Completely focusing yourself on something exciting and forgetting worries during that moment in life. Being an athlete, I know how that feels when being completely focused on a particular match and doing everything I could to win. In surfing it is important to turn all attention towards "living in the now" by reacting to the wave and conditions around you. I think that's why I've been so focused on getting to where I want to be in my career. Losing myself while being at the service of others definitely brings me the greatest satisfaction. Knowing that I can forget myself by focusing my faculties on a noble and worthy cause.
