SURFER THOTS TEN MISTAKES

STORIES THAT TEACH A LESSON.

It was a Tuesday, the ocean a dazzling expanse under the Trinidad and Tobago sun, a sight Surfer Thots still found profoundly unsettling. 

Her home planet, Xylos Prime, was a dust-blown orb where water existed only as a concept in ancient texts. The sheer, overwhelming wetness of Earth was a constant assault on her senses, yet also a source of strange fascination. She'd observed humans "surfing" for weeks, memorized countless instructional videos, and even theorized about the hydrodynamics. Today, she was determined to translate theory into practice. 

Her board, a gift from a curious local named Mr. Toks, felt alien under her feet. He was an "experienced surfer," a man whose skin was permanently tanned and whose eyes seemed to hold the rhythm of the tides. Thots had initially bristled at his gentle suggestions, her Xylosian pride demanding self-reliance. Now, bobbing in the deceptively calm water, she felt a tremor of uncertainty. The first decent wave approached, a graceful swell building behind her. Thots, remembering her simulations, tried to paddle with the correct rhythm, but her panic-fueled strokes were too short and frantic (Mistake 1). The wave began to pass her by. Desperate, she arched her back too sharply, trying to force the board forward (Mistake 2), instead of letting the wave do the work. The nose of her board dipped, and she felt herself losing balance. As the wave lifted her, she tried to "pop up" as the videos instructed, but her legs tangled, and she stood up too quickly and awkwardly (Mistake 3), throwing her center of gravity off. The board wobbled violently. In a desperate attempt to regain control, she gripped the edges of the board instead of keeping her hands free (Mistake 4), further destabilizing herself. The wave began to break, its power building. Instead of looking ahead and reading the water, Thots stared directly down at her feet (Mistake 5), losing all awareness of the breaking lip behind her. A cascade of white water slammed into her. She was thrown from the board, tumbling beneath the surface.Disoriented, she forgot the crucial rule: don't fight the ocean (Mistake 6). She thrashed against the current, wasting precious oxygen. When she finally broke the surface, gasping, another wave was already upon her. Instead of ducking under it or pushing through, she froze in fear (Mistake 7), and the wave crashed over her head, pushing her down again. Her lungs burned. She fumbled for her leash, trying to find her board, but in her panic, she pulled the leash too hard, yanking the board into her own face (Mistake 8), stunning her momentarily. She swallowed a mouthful of salty water, choking. 

The current dragged her deeper, away from the shore. Her Xylosian physiology, unaccustomed to prolonged submersion, began to falter. Her vision blurred. She felt a desperate urge to swim against the rip current, a fatal error in these waters. She began to swim directly against the rip, exhausting herself rapidly (Mistake 9). Just as the darkness threatened to consume her, she saw it: a towering wall of water forming. Instead of accepting the inevitable tumble and letting the wave carry her, she made her final, most dangerous mistake: she tried to paddle desperately towards the massive breaking wave (Mistake 10), attempting to outrun it. 

Just as the colossal wave was about to engulf her, a strong arm clamped around her waist. Mr. Toks, his face grim but determined, had paddled furiously, cutting through the swells like a seasoned shark. He pulled her onto his own board, not letting go until they were past the breaking point and into calmer waters. Coughing and sputtering, Thots clung to the board, her alien body trembling with residual fear and the sheer exhaustion of her ordeal. Mr. Toks, his breath steady despite the rescue, simply looked at her with understanding eyes. "The ocean, it teaches humility," he said, his voice calm amidst the receding roar of the waves. "You don't fight it, Thots. You listen. You learn to dance with it." 

As he slowly paddled them back to shore, Thots, for the first time since landing on Earth, felt something other than intellectual curiosity or stubborn pride. She felt the cold grip of fear, yes, but also a dawning realization. There were forces on this water planet that transcended her Xylosian logic, forces that demanded not conquest, but respect and a willingness to yield. She had almost drowned, but in that terrifying dance with the sea, she had begun to learn the true art of surfing, and perhaps, the art of being human. 

The story above was AI enabled at my prompting. The following are the lessons I want us to learn from the story. I write from a motivation perspective. Points relevant to our day to day activities. We can glimpse some success principles from this. They are my summation. Here are they from the ten mistakes she made. 

1. Short and frantic strokes. This is what happens when you step out without a vision. You are just strolling through life waiting for whatever comes your way. Grasping at this and that. You tried this for a while, another thing for a short time. Just short and frantic strokes at life. You are not running in any specific direction at sync with your talents and skills. 

2. Desperation and force. Never get desperate, you will definitely make mistakes. Control, tame your appetite. Sit down and plan with a clear mind. If under pressure, lay your bed and sleep. Clear your mind of the fog, think clearly, that is when you will see clearly. Desperate people become forceful and eventually drown, taking others down with them. Do not go into any venture with desperation. A relaxed mind thinks better. The wave was huge, she panicked. If she had relaxed and watched, she would have reacted better. A settled mind is always the best. Surfer Thots did not settle.  

3. Haste, losing your center of gravity; inbalance. Never forget it takes time. The major factor in most self destruction is "I want it now". Some things come fast, others are gradual. Wait for it. Methodically and strategically follow your course to the end. Great business and enduring achievements takes time to build. Structures are different from games. Games don't last, structures do. Structures outlast you. Structures take time. Hasty people lose their balance and will eventually crash or drown. 

4. Becoming destabilised. Her hands restrained instead of being free. Always be ready to explore, constantly roam the world of knowledge. Improve and update. Free your mind, free your hands. Understanding gives stability. 

5. Losing focus. Many things will want to shake you and take you off course. Attend to them, but never lose sight of the goal. In football, many attackers come at you to keep you from the goal. You don't run off with them, you dribble and keep going for the goal. That is how you win in soccer. Same in life. Never let attackers or storm keep you from the goal. 

6. She miscalculated the current. She missed direction. Properly analysing the situation to calculate your moves and flow in the path of wisdom will take you to success. There are always two currents : the one against you, the one for you. Flow with the good one. Invest in the good current; good relationships, good connections, good ideas, good returns, etc. These are the currents you flow with. 

7. Fear. Never succumb to that. It will come, master it, control it. Positive affirmation will help. Once you are sure and have your facts, step out and fear will flee. 

8. Error of judgement. Always get all your facts before making decision. One error of judgement can drown you. 

9. Personal exhaustion. Rest, recreate. Your mind and body must be strong to run successfully. Leave work once a while and go have fun then come back refreshed to continue the race. 

10. Attempting to outrun the wave. Stretching beyond her limit. Attempting the ridiculous. Leave that which will break you. You can never achieve everything you see around. Run your own course, enjoy the proceeds. There are waves bigger than you, let them go. You studied engineering, Leave architecture for those in the field. Some financial commitments, projects and debts will crush you. Let them be. Act wisely. Some gambles are quite foolish. Never stake all your wins on one game, what if you lose ? Many have dared what they should run from and got drowned. The reason business crash. The wise knows his limit. Grow to that level before you attempt it. You do not rent a warehouse when you have only two cars to sell, a small space with do. Grow to the level of renting a warehouse before renting one, you get the point. 

The above points from the AI enabled story are my own copyright. You can dance with the sea, only if you know how. 

(C) Tosin Oke 

Global Motivation