How Surfing is Like Pickup

Surfing is a lot like picking up girls in the following ways:

• When you first hit the water your body feels a natural rush. As the first wave hit you a combined sense of excitement and fear runs through your whole body.
• There are many waves: some are better than the others, some are great waves that have much force and power, some waves are small and gentle. When you catch a great wave you feel like just conquered the world. And then there’s always the one that got away.
• in order to get to where the waves break you have to go under the forceful ones and over the gentle ones. Sometimes you have  get around the obstacles to get to the riding point
• You have to ride long and hard
• You fear the big waves, just as you fear the challenges
• Afterward, you feel a strong sense of accomplishment
• You have to catch the right one so that it can take you as far as you can go
• Sometimes ,there’s that beautiful wave that got away
• After riding a few big waves, you learn how to handle it and the task becomes easier and easier.

Chapter 5: Prison Break (I quit my job at Google today)

My resignation letter read as such:

Dear Google,

Breakups are never easy, and I wanted to write you a thank you letter in lieu of what I could not say to you in person. Over the past 3 and a half years you have assisted me in my continued growth both professionally and personally.

You made work easy by offering to feed me whenever I was hungry.
You gave me nice massages for a nominal fee.
When I was sick you gave me the time to stay home and recover.
You even did my laundry and washed my dirty dishes.

You showed me that work can be rewarding, and that people are by nature, good.
You showed me that it was possible to fight for a just cause, despite public opinion swaying the other way.
You showed me the kindness of those perceived strangers you call “Googlers”
Being with you also made me learn how to deal with high stress situations and achieving high goals, and I will take these lessons to heart on my journey.

Rarely, when some of your friends abused their power, (as is inevitable when you have so many friends) you consoled me with summer BBQs and teddy bears, though I know that you had no control over their day to day actions.

Most importantly I will remember all of the awesome friends you were able to introduce me to through your social circle. I met all sorts of amazing Googlers that I will continue to be friends with, even after our breakup.

I hope we can remain good friends as well, and I wish you the best in your future endeavors.
XOXO,

Signed.

On my last day, the goodbyes were easy to make, as I started at the eyes of my co-workers, some of them felt genuinely sad but happy for me. Others hid behind a general and fake politeness that detaches from authenticity. Even others, better friends of mine actually felt sad and “a little jealous” that I have the opportunity now to do my own thing. I felt fine. I felt like this was long overdue and I have actually stayed for too long.

Playing society’s game for 6 years, I have gone to a wide eyed college graduate to a more mature young man, who is jaded at the corporate game. The social programming that society has put in place to keep things stabilized. Play the game! Work the tough job! Win money for yourself! Buy the nice car! These are all short term fixes to true self esteem and core confidence.

Tyler Durden (RSD) on social conditioning and the state of advertising in this country:

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Choosing your path in life

There are many reasons why some dating coaches maintain the attrition rate of new students in the seduction community as 95% within a 6 month period. Read more

Why Your Life is Depressing and Why Pickup is Good

In reading Authentic Happiness (Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment) today, I came across a passage by Dr. Martin Seligman that articulated the feelings i have had in the past few months. It also applied to our endeavors in learning pickup.

Dr. Seligman starts out by examining why, in the midst of the wealthiest time period in humanity’s history, human beings are as depressed as ever:

The sheer speed of modern life and our extreme future-mindedness can sneak up on us and impoverish ou rpresent. Alsmot severy tehcnological advance in recent times – from the telephone to the internet, has been about doing more and doing it faster… So invasive is this “virtue” that in even the most innocuous of social conversations, we can catch ourselves not listening well, but instead planning a witty riposte.

Another reason why the free hug campaign is so successful around the world: because we all want to belong:

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