In my last surf competition in Morocco, I had a chance — one last wave, one final opportunity to turn the heat around and make the finals. The ocean offered it to me in the very last seconds.
But I missed it.
Not because I wasn’t ready.
Not because I wasn’t capable.
But because, in that moment, I got distracted by the need to win.
I stepped out of presence and into pressure.
Out of flow and into fear.
And the wave passed me by — like a teacher offering a silent lesson.
What I’ve realized since is that moment was never about the result.
It was about the choice.
The choice to trust or to chase.
To be in the now, or be in my head.
To ride for the love of it — or grasp for something I thought I needed.
That wave became my greatest teacher.
Because sometimes what looks like a “missed opportunity” is actually the moment that shows us the pattern that’s been holding us back. The need for approval. The attachment to outcome. The pressure to prove.
This time, I saw it.
Next time, I’ll ride for the love of it.
Not to win.
But to be one with the wave.
And from that place… winning doesn’t even matter anymore — because you’re already free.
I’m taking this lesson with me into my next and final round of the surf competition — happening on the south coast of France (Hossegor-Seignosse) from June 21st to June 28th (which also happens to be my birthday!).
This time, I’m riding from presence. For the love of it.
If you’d like to support me — whether through presence, energy, or simply cheering me on from afar — it means the world.
Let’s ride this next wave together.
Mili