The problem with hard work.

the cure for everything is saltwater.

sweat, tears and the ocean.

Ever noticed how in feel good films when the main character strives to achieve something, the hard work part tends to be a four shots montage? Cue emotional music, scenes of sunrise, shadows against sunset and high fives...

The hard work part lasts all of about ten seconds and voila, hero is suddenly skilled and goes onto win the game/girl/day.

This is no better illustrated in the film Point Break, a surf movie which I admit to loving (despite never having actually watched the end). Keanu Reeve's character Johnny Utah learns to surf in what looks like a day, with the help of gorgeous surf girl Tyler (played by Lori Petty).

This delusional idea of being able to surf in a short amount of time accompanied me to Senegal, where I worked as a yoga teacher for three months. I thought by the end of my stay I'd practically be a surfer.

I was not.

In fact I was possibly worse, because I inherited 'the fear' having had a board whack me in the face splitting my lip and numerous waves hold me under. Surfing is difficult and beginners can often reach a plateau after initial jubilation subsides. I got frustrated and still do. I know the basics i.e. where your feet are supposed to land and that paddling is the most important part, but the consistently standing up part eludes me.

Lets be honest. Surfing is cool. The people who do it are cool and they make it look cool. So you'll forgive me for thinking that it takes ahem *balls, to paddle out into a line up knowing your going to look like a toddler taking its first steps, when you try and catch a wave.

Whatever your putting your heart into it takes hard work and commitment. At the moment I'm not in a situation where I can go surfing everyday, so with hard work and determination I need to/can amend this.

Being a 'youth of today' I can identify with the now culture we seem to have, we want things yesterday. The achievements and goals we aspire to we want immediately, which combined with a recession don't make for good feelings. I've been chastising myself for not having things sussed when in actuality what I need to do is find a passion (i.e. surfing) and work dam hard to achieve it.

If this means slogging my guts out as a dogsbody then so be it, because every stage of the journey leading up to success is important in the grand scheme of your life.

Don't give up kids. Keep on working.

I've not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work

- Thomas Edison