What Surfing Taught Me About Failing Forward

Surfing doesn't give you a choice about failure. You fall. Constantly. Sometimes in front of everyone. You paddle for a wave, miss the drop, and go tumbling into the whitewash.

In the beginning, I was embarrassed. I felt like everyone on the beach was watching my clumsiness. But then I realized something: nobody cared. They were too busy watching the waves or dealing with their own wipeouts.

Failing forward means accepting that the fall is part of the ride. You can't learn to stand up if you aren't willing to fall down. Every wipeout taught me how to adjust my weight, where to look, when to pop up.