I have tried blogging once before. It was short lived and probably too personal for anyone including most sailors to really enjoy reading it. Truth be told, I thought the idea pretentious at the time. I didn't think that I had any type of amazing perspective on sailing or life that would necessitate my own blog. Sitting here, typing away, I can tell you now that I still won't be blowing your minds with my day to day ramblings. That being said, I hope that every once in a while I manage to put together a coherent idea or two that helps you gain some perspective on an issue in your life.
Ok, now for an introduction. My name is Derick, I'm 26, and I competitively race a 14' sailboat called a laser. For the better part of the last four years I have been consumed by trying to live my dream of representing the US in the Olympics. Born and raised in Seattle, WA, I began sailing at the age of 6 and racing sailboats at the age of 9. For as long as I can remember sailing, the dream of going to the Olympics has been a part of me. It has moulded my life around sailing, and has become such a part of me that I'm not entirely sure what I would be without that purpose. It has taken me around the world, to places I would never have visited; and through those experiences I have some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for. During the trials for the 2012 Olympics, sailing broke my heart, but as time heals all wounds, I'm back in the game. Right now I'm in Miami sailing the second of five ISAF World Cup regattas, and that brings us to today. Day 1. One hell of a day...
Now, when I say one hell of a day, I should clarify that it was really more like a day from hell. I could try and tell you that I did everything right, that I got screwed and nothing went my way; but the reality is this. In sailing you make your own way. It is an incredibly complex sport, especially when you are sailing by yourself, and the people that are successful on a daily basis are the ones that make the least mistakes. Let me tell you, I made mistakes today. I spent the whole day making decisions like my head was in a fog; and I consistently put myself in positions where I was not in control of my own destiny. In all honesty, at the end of racing I felt like even getting out of bed this morning was a mistake. As I reflect upon that now, I see how easy it is to feel sorry for yourself, and feel like the entire world is out to get you. All day long as things were going wrong I felt like the deck was stacked against me, and I was getting screwed at every turn. I felt like quitting and never looking back; and as I walked back to the apartment I'm renting, something hit me. That attitude was at least half the problem. I know you've all heard this before, but nothing good ever comes from sitting back feeling sorry for yourself. This afternoon I was a walking, talking, moping cliche; and when that fact hit me I felt like and idiot. I know a few things about myself, and one of those things is that I am internally strong enough to rebound from today. Don't get me wrong, I let myself fall into the trap of being sad and mopey, and had I not caught myself doing that I may have stayed that way. The thing I realized though, is that if I was strong enough to start this endeavor, I am strong enough to finish it. I have to have enough confidence in myself to straighten up, get my self together, and come back fighting tomorrow; and I have to believe that and live it down to the core.
This brings me to my lesson for today. In most things that we do in life, there won't be one right way or one right answer. Today I blew two races in what is one of the most important regattas of the year. I know, however, that there are four more days of racing, and as many as nine races left in the series. I also know that I am capable of making good decisions, and sailing at a much higher level than I did today. I feel confident that tomorrow I will be able to put together a much better day of sailing, and continue that trend going forward in this event. The reason I know all of these things is that in preparing for this event, and in sailing in general, I have put tens of thousands of hours into getting better at my craft, getting fit, and getting my mind prepared for racing against some of the best and brightest sailors in the world. I don't pretend to have all of the answers, or to even have gone about it the right way during my entire journey thus far; but I do know this: If, in everything you do in life, you put your entirety into what you are doing, you can approach any obstacle with confidence in yourself. If you train, if you work hard and invest yourself in your future, you can be stand tall in the face of adverse conditions. We may not always compete as well as we wish, but the true measure of what we achieve, is how we react when things do not go our way. I, for one, know that when I launch my boat tomorrow, it will be a new day. One where I control my destiny; and one where I determine the course of my future.
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