Love of the water only grows as you spend time in it. The feeling of freedom it provides and the sense of playfulness within is hard to match.

Whether it was at the pool, beach or on the river, I spent almost every day of my youthful summers in the water. But it was only recently that I started to truly appreciate the ocean in all its beauty and strength. As a surfer you become very in tune with the water around you. It’s very alive, always changing, moving and reminding me to go with the flow of life. Each time as I paddle around, sometimes alone, sometimes joined by dolphins and otters or thousands more people in California, I learn something new.  I am continually humbled by the waves, some days they make me feel glorious, while other days it’s like I have no business out there.

It is difficult to explain the connection with waves that keeps myself or others going back. But I thought Mickey Smith, a charming, humble, creative and passionate surfer/ photographer did an exceptional job. In his recent appearance at the DO Lectures he shares a poetic story and the magic of waves in his film Darskide of the Lens, along with a few valuable lessons to live by…

• DO arm yourself with a grin.

• DO embrace being out of control.

• DO let your weirdness flow free. Go mad and be yourself.

• DO trust in the things you love.

• DO get primal with nature.

• DO trust your instincts and run with them always.

• DO use your fears and failures as fuel.

• DO what you love for a living. But be wise with it.

“Fires of happiness, waves of gratitude for everything that brought us to that point in life at that point in time to do something worth remembering with a photograph or a scar.”

His words are inspiring. Take 20 minutes to watch this talk and steep yourself in some of the wisdom that Mickey has to offer.