I just had the pleasure of viewing the film "Hardflip," starring Randy Wayne, and John Schneider. It is a story about teenager Caleb Jones as he uses skateboarding to guide him through difficult periods of his life. It was a very motivating film as I have personally always used a multitude of athletics to make it through difficult periods in my own life.
During the film, the lead character Caleb struggles to balance skateboarding as he experiences the death of his mother, and trying to build a relationship with his father whom he has just met for the first time after 18 years. What makes this such a great film is the message of embracing forgiveness and faith in order to let go of fear and pain. Too often I see my peers using alcohol and other drugs to escape from hard times because they are not aware of the tools necessary that will give them the inner strength to work out their trials and tribulations. As someone who has struggled with facing my mental and emotional challenges in the past, I have recently been working on my spiritual wellness through prayer and meditation and I would like to encourage my fellow outliers to never give up on believing in something that is bigger than yourself. Having a spiritual relationship in whatever you choose to believe in is important to achieving complete wellness. One thing this movie emphasized for me is that there is no right way to have a spiritual connection with something or someone. In the film, several characters used God to help them better connect with skateboarding and the world. This is such an encouragement to myself as I have truely seen how believing in yourself and focusing my energy towards positivity can not only change your personal outlook on life, but it can greatly help others around you. As with faith, the only correct way to do anything in the world is to do it the way you see most positive. That is something that I have always loved about sports and something this film does a beautiful job showing.
Outliers, never be afraid to have faith in how much sports, creativity, and positivity can affect yourself and the world around you. You are never alone with faith in something bigger than yourself, and faith in that alone will bring you the physical and emotional comfort in whatever you are needing at the time. In the film, Caleb's faith in skateboarding brought him closer to God, his family, friends, and ultimately made him a better skateboarder. In my personal life, I believe my faith in God and spreading wellness amongst my peers will bring me closer to my own overall wellness, and has already allowed me to connect with people I wish I would have met a decade ago. It is never too late to reach out for that spiritual connection, as it lives within us all. It is just our jobs to decide how we are going to tap into that inner spirit and let it guide us to true wellness and happiness.
The movie "Hardflip" is available for instant watch on Netflix in the independent movies category. If you like skateboaring, beautiful scenery, or would like to see how to begin your own spiritual journey, this is a great movie to check out.
Until next time
