The roundhouse cutback is one of the most beautiful and most popular maneuvers in surfing.

Anyone that has every kept up with me at all or talk to me for more than a minute knows I constantly refer to the balance between realizing that today you cannot do anything about certain situations, so just relax, and some days you need to realized today is the day to take action.

Lately I am struggling with a new issue, a new metaphor, if you will.

A lot has changed in my life in the last couple of months. Overall, there is a definite change taking place. Things are (hopefully) headed in the right direction. There is this swell (I just realize what an appropriate choice of words that is) of activity and people in my life.

I am a man of action, well in most aspects anyway. Now if it is laundry or trash... meh... that can wait. I like to take action, take advantage, make the most of things. #liveonpurpose #liveoutloud and all that.

Lately I am preoccupied with and talk a lot to my friends (and by “friends”, I mean anyone that will listen) about what to do, what to do next? How to take advantage of the new opportunities? How do I take my life to the next level? Inevitably I seem to get the same advice... "just ride the wave". And I think that is good for a bit but...

How do you know when to just ride the wave and when to execute the roundhouse cutback?

I am a fan of the book “10% Happier” by Dan Harris. I remember that at one point he was told he had become “too Zen”. That he, perhaps, had gotten to a point where he was not taking enough action, that he was letting life “just happen” too often. I am paraphrasing (from a historically proven bad memory) so forgive me if that is not an accurate account.

I am also a fan of the book “The Surrender Experience” by Michael Singer. He owes is entire very successful life to saying yes to whatever life asked of him. He often states in the book that he did not go out trying to make any of what happen to him happen.

To give Mr. Singer some major credit, a lot of the change in my life has come from saying yes to whatever comes along. And some great things have come along.

But, also, a lot of what has “come along” is very inspiration and successful people giving the advice to make the life you want happen. And my gut tells me this is the way to live.

But…

So how do you know? I mean even someone that is doing a cutback is still riding the wave. What exactly does ride the wave mean? How do you know when to just "go with it", don't force anything, and let it be, blah blah blah, etc etc. And how do you know when to take the wave by the... horns... you know what I mean. :)