Step 1: Skate

Among the sea of Pokemon GO players vehemently searching around the vast parking lot, I set down my skateboard, put my foot on top — centered just below the middle of the trucks — and pushed off.

I didn’t fall this time like I did yesterday. While the humidity caused sweat to sting the cuts from last night’s adventure, I felt a sense of relief that this wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be.

I’m afraid of falling. Who isn’t, though? More specifically, I’m afraid of falling in front of strangers. Here I am — a 26 year old guy with a deranged beard, stepping atop a skateboard and awkwardly pushing forward, trying to keep balance and leaning in small movements to avoid the cracks and weeds growing in the concrete.

So, why is this caveman learning to skateboard at age 26 you might ask? The easy answer is that I am searching for answers myself.

A close friend of mine and I have goals that we set every 6 months. Rather than “New Year’s Resolutions,” we put together things we’d like to accomplish in the next six months that are measurable and in-line with where we currently stand in various aspects of our lives. We keep each other accountable during the 6 months.

Long story short, my friend inspired me to “try something new.” The idea of skateboarding came to me because I’ve been spending time at the park (both working out and playing Pokemon GO) and noticed some park-goers riding their skateboard. I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Can I learn that?”

Daunting and uncertain, skateboarding seems like the perfect challenge to push myself on many fronts.

I learned a long time ago that we grow the most when we are pushed past our boundaries of comfort: when we move into the territory of uncertainty, risk, and fear. In a way, you could say that I am facing my fears of A: learning a new challenging physical skill, B: getting hurt, and C: Being judged by the world. Lots of emphasis on C.

You see, it’s easy to spend a lot of time worrying about what other people will think. What they will think about the kind of car that we drive, the kind of work we do, or the kinds of things that we decide to try. If you know me IRL, you know that I’m a fairly large individual. I knew all well that falling was going to be a little harder on me than everyone else. But what was stopping me from getting back up if I did fall?

Skateboarding is both a physical challenge and a metaphor for personal growth. Rather than let fear rule an aspect of my life, I am trying something new to test and develop skills on a physical and mental plane.

But wait — there’s more!

I won’t go too in depth about the next step, but this is part of a bigger plan that I have in store for my life, my career, and for my desire to contribute positively to this world in some form or fashion.

I’m a student and will always be learning in one way or another. I often find myself fighting away feelings of fear and inadequacy in both my personal and creative life. That little voice inside my head speaks up and tells me what I can and can’t do — fed by the preconceptions I allow myself to pay attention to.

But slowly, patiently, and with purpose have I found little lights of hope strewn across the world. Rays of sunshine that grow the positivity found inside myself — and the positivity inside you, too.

You see, it’s much more valuable to build up with positivity than it is to break down with negativity. Whether in an educational environment, a political landscape, or just stepping on a piece of wood with wheels — empowering reinforcement goes so much further than negativity, which breeds fear and discontent. Both start from within ourselves.

Maybe that’s common sense for many — but for me, it took a while to understand that I have more control over the way that I react to situations or experiences than they have over me. As soon as I allow something to take control over the way that I feel — or more importantly — the way that I react, then I have lost a part of myself that is both vulnerable and valuable to my identity.

All this to say that I have a plan to continue to build and share positivity in a myriad of ways. While I may never be able to accurately communicate experiences to you, I will share the struggles that I’ve faced, how I overcame them (in some cases, still attempting to overcome them) and connecting the dots of our lives to make the best out of what we have at our fingertips.

Mixed in will be little stars of creativity to help fuel your own journey to awesomeness. Whether you’re wanting to ride a skateboard, fly to the moon, or sell sea shells — there is no better you than you to get you there.

It’s a really special year for me in many ways and I can’t wait to share what the world has shared with me.

Skate on friends.