The Lineup Lesson
It’s early morning.
The sun is just starting to rise, painting the horizon with streaks of gold and pink.
You paddle out, find your spot in the lineup, and settle in.
Sets are rolling through.
You see a good wave coming.
Your heart quickens.
You paddle.
You hesitate.
And in that split second of doubt, the wave passes you by.
Suddenly the next set is crashing right where you sit. You’re caught inside, scrambling, duck-diving, gasping for air as the ocean reminds you what hesitation costs.
Every surfer has been there.
And every human being has too because the lineup isn’t just in the ocean.
The lineup is life.
🌊 How Surfing Mirrors Life
The lineup is full of choices.
Paddle for this wave or wait for the next.
Sit deep or play it safe on the shoulder.
Go for the steep drop or let it pass.
In every choice, there’s hesitation, risk, and reward.
On land, our lineups look different but feel the same:
Do I apply for that job, or wait for a safer option?
Do I speak my truth in this relationship, or stay silent?
Do I take a leap on this dream, or hesitate out of fear?
Just like in the ocean, hesitation can leave us stuck.
We miss opportunities.
We get trapped “inside” tough situations, overthinking, overwhelmed, unable to move forward.
The lesson?
You can’t avoid every wipeout.
But you can avoid missing the ride by letting fear keep you frozen.
🌴 The Surfer’s Mental Strategies
Surfers develop powerful mental tools in the water, tools that translate directly into life:
Reading the Sets (Awareness)
Surfers learn to watch the horizon, anticipate the sets, and position themselves. In life, awareness means noticing patterns: what’s coming, what’s repeating, where opportunities are forming.Commitment Over Hesitation (Action)
Once you decide to go for a wave, hesitation is your enemy. Half-hearted paddling guarantees you’ll miss the ride. In life, when you’ve prepared and aligned, commit fully. Action builds momentum.Resilience After Wipeouts (Growth)
Every surfer wipes out. What matters is the paddle back out. In life, failure isn’t the end, it’s feedback. Resilience is how we grow.Patience in the Lineup (Trust)
Surfing is 90% waiting, 10% riding. In life, patience is just as vital. Not every opportunity is yours. Trust that the right wave will come.Presence in the Moment (Flow)
You can’t surf while distracted. The ocean demands presence. Life does too. The more you practice being here, right now, the more fully you live.
🌊 When You Get Stuck Inside
Being trapped inside in surfing is exhausting. You’re fighting wave after wave, burning energy, frustrated. It happens to everyone.
Life’s version of being stuck inside might be:
Spinning in anxiety, unable to make a decision.
Staying in a toxic relationship because you’re afraid to leave.
Stuck in a job that drains you but feeling paralyzed about change.
Here’s the truth: being stuck inside is normal.
But it’s not permanent.
Every surfer learns to rest between sets, look for the channel, and paddle out with strategy.
In life, you can too.
The key is learning from it.
Hesitation teaches us about courage. Struggle teaches us about strength. Being stuck teaches us about patience.
🌀 The Breath: Breaking Free from Overthinking
One of the simplest tools surfers rely on in the water is the breath. Before paddling for a wave. After a long hold-down. Sitting in the lineup waiting. The breath is the anchor.
On land, breath helps us break the cycle of hesitation and overthinking.
A technique we love is the 4-7-8 Breath—a simple practice that slows the heart rate, calms the nervous system, and creates space for clarity. Here’s how to do it:
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.
Hold your breath gently for 7 counts.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 counts.
Repeat this cycle 4 times.
As you practice, imagine yourself in the lineup, letting go of tension with every exhale.
The long release is like the ocean pulling back, clearing space for the next set.
The next time you find yourself hesitating, whether in the water or in life, pause, breathe 4-7-8, and reconnect.
This breath brings you back to presence, where courage lives.
🌊 From Lineup to Life: Real Applications
Here’s how you can apply these surfer strategies directly into daily life:
Job Interviews (The Set Wave) – Instead of overthinking every question, prepare, breathe, and then commit like paddling for a wave. Don’t hesitate mid-drop. Trust your training.
Relationships (The Lineup) – Learn to read the “sets.” Notice patterns in communication. Anticipate what’s building. Position yourself with awareness and patience.
Personal Growth (The Paddle Out) – The journey to becoming your best self will feel like duck-diving through endless waves. Keep paddling. Each stroke builds strength.
Big Decisions (The Drop) – Fear will whisper to hesitate. But once you know it’s your wave, go all in. Commitment is where courage lives.
Surfing isn’t just recreation. It’s rehearsal for life.
🌴 A Story from the Lineup
Last winter in Rincon, I hesitated again and again on the 6ft+ waves that were rolling through.
Finally, after missing set after set, I went for it.
Wipeout.
But I came up, laughing.
My friends were laughing too.
Something shifted.
I paddled back out with more fire, less fear.
The next wave, I didn’t hesitate and made the drop.
That day I learned something profound: the wipeout is never worse than the regret of not trying.
The same is true in life.
You’ll fall. You’ll get tossed.
But the only way to grow is to go for it.
🌟 Building a Life of Flow
The ocean doesn’t reward perfection.
It rewards presence.
Surfing is about flow, not control.
Life is the same.
When you hesitate, you fight against flow.
When you commit, you step into it.
Growth, resilience, and joy are found when you let yourself ride.
So the next time you’re hesitating in life, whether it’s asking for what you want, trying something new, or chasing a dream, remember the lineup.
The only way to get the ride is to paddle, commit, and drop in.
🌊 Closing Reflection
From lineup to life, surfing teaches us:
Awareness keeps us prepared.
Commitment overcomes hesitation.
Resilience turns wipeouts into wisdom.
Patience teaches trust.
Presence creates flow.
You will hesitate.
You will get stuck.
You will wipe out.
But every experience is shaping you into someone stronger, wiser, and more alive.
So breathe deeply.
Give yourself grace.
And when your next wave comes, don’t hold back.
Commit fully.
Ride it with soul.
Because hesitation leaves you stuck inside.
But courage carries you to the ride of your life.
Connect With Your Soul
Kevin