"The key to immortality is to live a life worth living."
The beautiful quote is from the late Bruce Lee, whose image and philosophy have inspired many generations and been represented in several skateboard graphics and products over the years.
Through living a life where you give everything you've got, you have the potential to make a lasting impact that continues to live on in the spirit of others.
What is it that you consider your legacy?
Is it something that is left behind at the end of your life, or is it something that you can consciously leave behind each day?
Each day could be seen as a beginning and an ending, just like the nature of life and death.
What is it that makes you wake up each morning? The alarm clock? Do you need to go to work? To get something to eat?
Instead of thinking of the moment you wake up as just another day in your routine, wake up because you are waking up with passion and purpose.
Skate or Die!
I'm sure many of you can relate to this one, and I know the feeling of waking up and being excited to go skateboarding.
Driven by my love for skateboarding, I'd wake up early and do what I needed to do quickly and efficiently, fueled by the thought of going skating.
In my younger years, I loved being with my friends, finding new spots, and filming at different locations.
It never bothered me how far we actually traveled to get to some of these places to skate.
The thought and the thrill of sharing in the spirit of something that we loved so much were enough to kick-start my day.
In my parenting years, I have been enjoying going out skating either by myself or with my sons early in the morning before any pedestrians, traffic, or security.
I thought that there was something very special about having a park or a spot all to ourselves, like the feeling of being alone or with family, participating in something very special and sacred.
What are some of the ways that you can carry this "skate or die" mentality outside of skateboarding?
Skateboarding grows on you and can have a deep impact on your lifestyle, and sometimes it can feel all-consuming when we live and breathe it.
I find it particularly easy to lose sight of "skate or die" when injuries or setbacks take place.
That feeling of trying something on your skateboard and ending up with a rolled ankle, hot pocket, or heel bruise can make you feel like you don't want to do anything at all except skate again.
To conquer what seemingly conquered you.
Some people may feel like they're going through a void in these circumstances and feel like they're just waiting around to go skating again.
Everyone handles things differently based on where they are at in life.
I've seen this take on the form of excessive drinking and lazing about in a lot of skaters.
For some, it might take on the form of seeking out methods and modalities that will benefit their health and healing process.
For me, I know that my injuries meant continuing to go out on sessions and getting more into filming and video making.
Keeping the Fire Burning
Finding a new purpose and passion kept my fire burning.
How do we find purpose and passion in the world outside of skateboarding? Think consciously about what you're doing and who you are sharing life with.
Consider this your everyday legacy - making memories that will last a lifetime.
Think of your legacy like threads in a piece of fabric that are all interwoven together.
It's not only key events or favorite pastimes that make your legacy; it's everything in between as well.
My angels and guides tell me that there is no such thing as a boring person, a boring situation, or a day to be bored.
There are so many different ways that you can experience and enjoy your day.
Each person has their own story, and there is no way that you could understand your life or another person just with one glance.
We experience life through metaphorical lenses.
On the days that you are able to go skateboarding, you experience passion and purpose through these lenses.
Mentally tell yourself when you are going through this exchange of perspectives so that your days off the board can still be purposeful and passionate.
Perhaps there is a kid at your skatepark who could benefit from a few pointers.
Maybe your local skate shop has a community project or event that you can help out with.
Your friends might appreciate someone who can film or take photos, or you could learn to use video editing software.
You can still be involved. It just takes on a different form and expression.
Asking Yourself Questions
What is it that can give your life meaning when you are required to see through different lenses?
Consider what you have available to you in the surroundings that bless you each moment.
"Live in the now and be in the present."
It's been said time and time again to the point that it's become a cliché kind of phrase, but what does it all actually mean?
My angels and guides say that people who are anxious are too focused on the future, and depressed people are too focused on the past.
For instance, when you are out skating, let's say you get kicked out of a spot. You may have been trying a trick there, and you weren't victorious.
Do you fixate on it, and do you finish skating for the day?
Moving on to the next spot, in order to have fun, do you concentrate on spots that are next on your list, or do you focus on where you are right now?
What fun would you be having if you were hung up on every spot that you were kicked out of or skimmed over every spot that you visited and didn't spend any time considering the different angles and lines that you could be approaching from?
I'm sure your crew wouldn't be keen on putting up with that kind of complaining, either.
Think about whether you are having fun and what you can change in order to get there.
Who is with you? Are you in good company today? Is there anything that you can practice or anything new that you can try today?
Enjoy Every Push
When I have connected with clients' loved ones on the Other Side, it's common for me to hear about their regrets and sometimes unfinished business.
They tell me about the things that they wished they had done and the things that they wished they had said.
No one ever tells me about their wishes to be lazier or bored.
This experience alone inspires my clients and me to live with passion and purpose!
Even though our souls go through a journey and we are able to go from one life to the next, the truth is, we'll never experience this same life again.
Not even a day or moment in time goes by where everything is identical to another.
Life is about living.
Worrying and complaining, wallowing in doubt, and things that weigh you down actually affirm and give power to the undesirable experiences that you actually don't want in your life.
Rather than speaking about what you should be doing (which has negative undertones that what you're currently doing is not good enough and projects your thoughts out into the future to another day, another moment), try to consider speaking about yourself in the now, with statements beginning with "I can" and "I am."
Speak about yourself as if you've already attained what you are seeking. Think about what you can look back on as your days pass.
Did you fill your days with joy? Or did you find your life boring and uninspiring? You have the choice, and you have the power to change this!
I find that an attitude of gratitude is one that can help you reach these deeper forms of appreciation and value in creating an everyday legacy.
Enjoy every push, pop, and kickturn. Ride your skateboard like you mean it.
It's an expression of love for the board you stand on and the wheels you roll on.
Connect with your dreams and the things that make your heart sing.
Connect with the people around you who uplift your life experience and make you feel like you want to live a life worth living.
Connect with yourself and all of the inspiring qualities that make you who you are.
Your experience here on earth certainly is a unique one.
My angels and guides have told me that there is "no place in the entire universe which is similar or like this planet and physical realm."
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, they have also told me that "skateboarding is a one of a kind activity that doesn't exist anywhere else in the entire universe."
No matter where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing, enjoy it and live it out as a beautiful gift that is celebrated in every moment of your involvement, interaction, and intention.
99 Degrees Reaper Horse Graphic by Aaron Jenkin (2009)
Everyone has time to live and die.
When death comes knocking at your door, will you be happy and fulfilled with the life that you led? Make the most of your life and take action to move in the direction of your desires.
Be inspired to live a life of legacy by taking every day as your best day. What are the ways that you can contribute to your scene?
Your skate scene and your life scene?
Words by Nathan Ho | Skateboarder and Author of "The Endless Wave: Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality"