Skateboarding isn't just about rolling on wheels; it's a reflection of life itself. I didn’t fully appreciate skateboarding until I started doing it myself. The process became a form of meditation for me—practicing calmness, cultivating the courage to face my fears, and engaging in self-reflection. Ultimately, it helped me understand and embrace the cyclical nature of life: falling down, getting up, and repeating the process over and over again.

Learning to skateboard for the first time is like learning to walk. I can't describe how hard it was just to stand on the board with both feet. Each time my second foot left the ground to join the other on the board, I felt unsteady. It was a risk. Every jolt and tiny twist of the board made it feel like I was about to fall, and panic would kick in. So, to learn to stand, I had to get comfortable with falling.

I believe the fear of falling is learned, and it intensifies after experiencing a big fall. During my second skateboarding lesson, I fell repeatedly while trying to do a board pivot. Some falls were bad—I even bruised my hip. Afterward, my progress stagnated as the fear of falling clouded my mind. But skateboarding taught me that despite the fear, overcoming challenges is possible. If you stay consistent, what once seemed terrifying becomes second nature, and you eventually forget why you were scared in the first place.

This cycle of falling down and getting back up is at the core of both skateboarding and life. In skateboarding, every fall is a lesson. It’s a chance to analyse what went wrong—was my approach too fast, my balance off, or my technique flawed? Similarly, in life, our failures offer us valuable insights. When we face setbacks, we have the opportunity to reflect and grow.

A skateboarder doesn’t let one fall—or even a hundred—deter them. After each tumble, they dust themselves off, get back on the board, and try again. This resilience is what allows them to progress. A person who has experienced many failures is always stronger than one who has never fallen.

So, the next time you see a skateboarder gracefully gliding one moment and crashing the next, remember that they are living out a metaphor for life. Their journey—falling down, getting back up, and repeating the process—is a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and determination within each of us as we navigate the unpredictable terrain of our own lives.