I want to surf better tomorrow. I want to surf better in 10 years. When I'm 50 I want to be a better surfer than I am now - for me it's a lifelong journey.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of continuous self-improvement and lifelong learning in any pursuit.
Kelly Slater expresses his desire for ongoing improvement in his surfing skills over time, highlighting that the journey of self-development is never-ending. This perspective encourages individuals to embrace the process of growth and mastery rather than fixating solely on immediate outcomes.
In practice
A coach might use this quote to inspire athletes to focus on long-term growth rather than just immediate results.
A lot of times I'll see guys who are nowhere near the level of the board they're riding. They might love surfing and love how it looks, but you really have to work your way up. It takes eating a little humble pie at first, and stepping back to equipment that might be a bit slow, but do it.
There are so many different elements to surfing. Small waves, big waves, long boards, short boards. This makes it a sport you can share with people. It's not just a solitary thing - it's become a family thing, too. It's about exercising and passing something on from father to son, and from mother to daughter.
I still feel like my best surfing is ahead of me.
It's a perfect wave when small and the most beautiful and scary wave on Earth when it's big, as the swell from deep water hits the shallow reef ledge. A ten-foot high wave and a 30-footer break in the same depth of water.
Do your thing and don't care if they like it.
You've got to be able to think on your own; you've got to be creative. You can't be willing to take a backseat.
Ignore any loss of nerve, ignore any loss of self-confidence, ignore any doubt or confusion. Move on believing in love, in peace, and harmony, and in great accomplishment. Remember joy isn't a stranger to you. You are winning and you are strong. Love. Love first, love always, love forever.
I still get rejections - frequently - and my goal isn't to never fail, to never be turned down, but simply to succeed more often than I don't. And in order to do that, I have to constantly put myself out there, to judgment, critique, and rejection.
The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don't just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed. Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work.
I work seven days a week, from 9 in the morning till 8 at night. I have the titles of the next eight novels I want to write. I feel myself pitiable, degraded on a day that I don't write.
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