The Relationship Between Fear and Inner Drive | Big Wave Surfer, Mark Mathews

Mark Mathews (0:00)

The mastery part of what I do is mastering, managing that fear and the stress, to do something consistently that other people don't want to do consistently because it's scary, not because they technically can't do it. Like, of course, I can't take a 40-year-old and build the surfing technique to be able to do it, but it's average level surfing with high level mastery of fear and anxiety.

That's the way I look at what I do.

Michael Gervais (0:44)

All right, welcome back or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I'm Michael Gervais, and by trade and training, a sport and performance psychologist, as well as the co-founder of Compete to Create. And the whole idea behind these conversations, behind this podcast, is to learn from people who are just switched on, they're flat out on it. They've dedicated their life efforts to unlocking, to understanding, to living in alignment, to really going into the nuances of their craft and understanding at the deepest level, both mastery of self and mastery of craft. And what does that mean? That means we wanna dig to understand how do they organize their inner life? And what are the mental skills that they use to build and refine their craft?

I wanna take a minute here to announce a really exciting event that we have coming up. As you continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities of 2024, I wanna pose a question. What are you doing right now to be great with stress? How are you working with stress on your pursuit towards your most important ambitions and goals? And I just wanna get right to the heart of the key elements, one in particular, for what it takes to excel in today's high heat, high stakes world. Because stress is not the problem that we think it is. Stress is a synonym for change. And our ability to be agile with change, that is the real opportunity at hand. So if you're wanting to unlock extraordinary results and sustainable performance in your life, it's not about avoiding or reducing stress. And as simple as that sounds, it's very tricky to do, but it is about fundamentally changing your relationship with it.

And that's why I'm so thrilled to invite you to a special event, it's a free virtual event that we're offering and it's called The Power of Embracing Stress. It's on Wednesday, March 6th at 2 p.m. Pacific. So to sign up, just head over to findingmastery.com/training, whether it's advancing in your career or improving your health or cultivating stronger relationships, I think a new approach to stress can be one of the most powerful unlocks for you in your life. So join us for this free virtual training, The Power of Embracing Stress, on Wednesday, March 6th at 2 p.m. Pacific. Go to findingmastery.com/training to sign up once again. That's findingmastery.com/training. And I'm really excited to see you there.

Finding Mastery is brought to you by HIMS.

HIMS is changing men's health care by providing simple and convenient access to science-informed treatments for erectile dysfunction, ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more. Health struggles like ED are common, but they can be hard to talk about when it comes to finding a solution. That's why HIMS has been a game changer for so many men. The entire process is 100% online and, if prescribed, your medication ships directly to you for free and in discrete packaging. No waiting rooms, no pharmacy visits. Plus, you can manage your plan directly on the HIMS app, track progress, and learn more about your conditions and how to treat them from leading medical experts. So, if your loved one has been struggling with ED, I really want to encourage you to go check out HIMS. And, I know ED often has a psychological component as well. So, be sure that you're stacking some psychological best practices into your daily routine as well. Start your free online visit today at hims.com/findingmastery. That's HIMS, hims.com/findingmastery for your personalized treatment options. hims.com/findingmastery. Prescriptions require an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if appropriate. Restrictions apply. See hims.com/e-o-f for details and important safety information. Subscription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan.

Now, this week's conversation is with Mark Matthews.

He is a world-class big wave surfer. He's a Red Bull athlete and a surf contest director. And he's made a living at the intersection of danger and excitement and skill and knows all too well the really gripping and constricting grasp of fear. And he was down in Tasmania, 15 feet in front of a cliff of cold shark-infested waters where Mark hit a reef and instantly blacked out.

Terror, he has the reports, just engulfed every inch of his being. His neck was braced, he was hospital-ridden, and he didn't know if he was ever gonna do the thing he loved again. He didn't know if he was ever gonna be able to get back in the water.