Find your "back edge"

I learned to snowboard 3 years ago. At first it was by choice but succeeding at it was purely based on survival. A colleague who ended up turning into my best friend first introduced the sport to me. Watching from the bottom of the mountain it looked so simple. Much less complex than skiing. Skiers have all those moving parts - 2 skis, 2 poles. Boarders strap on and glide down the mountain. Pretty straightforward stuff. Not to mention the selection of cool gear. So to the bunny hill I went for my lesson. And what a slap in the face, literally, I encountered. I couldn't stay up. Once I got some speed I was too afraid to keep going. I fell backwards, forwards, sideways, and walked uphill for many weeks during my first snowboard season. All the while my friends were having a blast and not breaking a sweat. I was so tired, sore, and frustrated. I convinced myself I just wasn't cut out for this. But I kept going. Why did I keep trying? Because I didn't want to get left behind on the mountain all by myself! I didn't want to miss out on the good times my friends were having on the mountain. So I tagged along that first season, usually the last one down the mountain, the one everyone waited for, the one my friends took turns looking out for. And I took it one step at a time. When you are in the back of the pack you get to see what other's are doing. I mimicked what everyone else was doing. Once I was comfortable staying vertical on the board I had to tackle my fear of speed. I learned to love the back edge of my board. I could ride down any trail on the back edge to control my speed. There I was on a double black diamond full of moguls plowing down hill on my back edge. I wasn't snowboarding, I was surviving. Long story short, I did learn to really ride. By the end of the season I was carving and comfortable with speed. Since then I have tackled some of the finest mountains in Utah and Vermont. And I now have a hobby that I can say with confidence I am good at and I truly love. No more back of the pack rider. I don't worry about the terrain ahead anymore because I know I can handle anything as long as I use my back edge. In life, work, and love I have learned to bring this same philosophy to many situations. Who knows what lies ahead, but if you find the back edge to help you manage through it you'd be amazed what you can accomplish.