Marnie Rays Kooks

Marnie Rays Kooks

Commitment Over Hesitation: What Surfing Teaches About Life

Lindsey Holland's avatar
Lindsey Holland
Aug 29, 2025
∙ Paid
4
1
Share

Hey everyone!

I’m writing this from a boat in the Maldives, still a little salt-stung and sun-kissed after another day of reef break waves. As an intermediate (and always learning) surfer, this trip has been a huge step out of my comfort zone. The waves here are bigger, the reef is sharper, and everything feels a little more exposed.

Some moments have been pure joy, the kind that fills your chest and makes you laugh out loud on the paddle back or on the white water ride in. Other moments, fear has won, right at the tipping point of take-off. But even in those moments of pullback, I’m realising that every bit of it is golden.

What Surfing is Teaching Me

One lesson that keeps landing is that we don’t need to be good at our hobbies. The pressure to be good, to perfect, to progress and it so often strips away the joy that drew us in to begin with.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Marnie Rays Kooks
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture