a story about skateboarding, and a lesson in not giving a f*** last summer I was in Venice Beach: one of the best skateboarding communities in the world. picture a bunch of Tony Hawk’s doing crazy shit, and 100s of people watching in amazement. “I’m going to rip the half-pipe” I said, so I went up and stood on the edge. for context: I'm not a skateboarder. I think skateboarding is fun, I skateboard to get from A → B, but I cannot do the skateboard tricks. but being in Venice, I felt inspired to try, so I went up and stood on the edge of the half-pipe. I got to the edge… and something happened: I looked up. I looked at other skaters ripping up the park, I looked at 100s of eyes watching and critiquing, and I chickened out. I’ve thought about this moment for a while: I let the hypothetical thoughts of other people stop me from doing something I really wanted to do. I wanted a chance to redeem myself. then yesterday… we pulled up to a coffee shop, I looked to the right, and there it was: a half-pipe. it wasn’t as big as Venice... but there were skaters skating, and people watching. so I grabbed a skateboard and went to the drop-in, but this time I did something different: I did not focus on other people, I only focussed on “experience.” 🏎️ experiencing the speed of the skateboard; 🔥 the adrenaline of risk; 😡 the frustration of f**ing up; 🏔️ the triumph of getting better. this teleported me into a room by myself; it was almost like I couldn’t see the other people. all of my attention was inward, feeling every single feeling that came up. it was one of the best experiences of my life. I think I experienced unfiltered life for the first time; the thoughts of other people never crossed my mind. so here is my action step moving forward: people say "picture the audience in their underwear." I say forget about the audience entirely. focus internally; on maximizing YOUR experience, and don’t let the thoughts of other people get in the way. #unfiltered
Another home run Patrick
Executive Recruiter | 20+ years of CPG Sales & Marketing Expertise | Connecting retail, eCommerce and DTC leaders with mission-driven and iconic brands
9moTo be honest, dropping into a half pipe is no joke if you've never done it, even for an experienced skater. Way smarter to start with a small quarter pipe and work your way up. You can get lucky and make it your first time or you can break your face or pelvis, kind of like life or business I guess. I like the lesson here though, keep shredding.