The scene opens: It’s daytime, in a bank, let’s say 11:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. The customers are going about their business with quiet purpose. The sun washes in from the eastern windows. Everyone is at least a little tan, and they look a little like people who smell of sea salt and the waves. L.A.? Could be. You can tell they all not-so secretly wish they were surfing. But who doesn’t, am I right?
Suddenly the front doors burst open, and the camera rushes to them. Who swaggers through the door, but Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter, each carrying an assault rifle. “I voted for you, Mr. President!” shouts one shocked customer. “Shut up, you stupid Oakie!” Jimmy Carter inexplicably yells back.
And on it goes. What is happening? Are you watching some amazing science fiction film about time-traveling and/or cloned former presidents robbing banks? Normally I’d say, “You wish!” but here you don’t wish. Because you’re already watching the greatest movie ever made. You’re watching the opening scene of Point Break.
THE SECRET OF POINT BREAK
Why is Point Break such an amazing film? Many have asked this in the 28 years, three months, two weeks, and one day since the film’s premier. And there are many reasons: the surfing; the breathtaking cinemaphotography; the epic skydiving; Gary Busey; the flamethrower scene; the ex-presidents, of course; two meatball subs at 10 in the morning; and Keanu Reeves in the heartbreaking final scene.
But the real Point Break connoisseurs know that the secret is that its characters don’t set non-tubular goals. They never aim for, or settle for, anything short of totally bodacious. They make flamethrowers out of gas pumps. They skydive without parachutes. They go absurdly and impractically into character as ex-presidents while robbing banks. They say things like, “If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price.” They live absolutely to the limit.
This dedication to excellence allows the characters of Point Break to achieve great things. They never do things half-way or settle for mediocrity. Keanu Reeves even applied it to his own life, culminating in his recent action star renaissance due to his intense dedication to his John Wick training regimen. You too can be like Bodhi and Johnny Utah, if only you’re also stoked and ready to rip.
START APPLYING THE SECRETS OF POINT BREAK TO YOUR OWN LIFE
Too often, though, instead of being gnarly, we allow ourselves to be satisfied with taking a nosedive.
Stop taking nosedives. The first step is to set better goals. How do you know if a goal is bad? One red flag is if you achieve it. Achieving goals will leave both lost and self-satisfied. You will wrongly convince yourself that you’re “OK.” But you’re not “OK.” You’re never “OK.” Because there is always more, and you should always want more, like Bodhi.
Start by sitting down, thinking about what you want out of your life, and setting the biggest goal you can think of to that end. This should be something really big, like being the absolute ruler over all of humanity and all of its offshoots until the heat death of the universe. If you can think of something bigger, for instance involving time travel, go with that. Then remember that all acts are measured only relative to that goal: You can move forward, towards your goal (be more like Bodhi) or backwards, away from your goal and into mediocrity (be less like Bodhi). You always want to move in the direction of being more like Bodhi. No act is neutral. All things move you forward or backwards.
Next, carefully consider the path to achieving that goal and set smaller, more achievable sub-goals that will move you further along the path. For instance, a sub-goal may be turning your law firm into the most successful commercial entity in the past and future of human civilization. You want alien archaeologists 10 billion years in the future to be writing books about you. Then you start psyching yourself up, such as by yelling at yourself in mirrors. Continue this process as long as necessary.
Then, build your self-identity around those goals. Dr. Gregory House used to say that he needed his team’s entire self-worth to rise and fall based on how well they did their jobs. You need to be the same way. The idea of failure should be intolerable.
SURF’S UP
By applying these simple lessons, you too can become a great surfer, capable of mastering the legendary 50-Year-Storm, or whatever else you wish to do. So stop making excuses and start today, living the lessons taught to us by Bodhi, Johnny Utah, and whatever character Gary Busey plays.
Matthew W. Schmidt has represented and counseled clients at all stages of litigation and in numerous matters including insider trading, fiduciary duty, antitrust law, and civil RICO. He is a partner at the trial and investigations law firm Balestriere Fariello in New York, where he and his colleagues represent domestic and international clients in litigation, arbitration, appeals, and investigations. You can reach him by email at matthew.w.schmidt@balestrierefariello.com.