Being a daily surfer without a full-time, 9 to 7, daily grind job definitely has its perks! If you have the means or the inclination, I highly recommend trying it out for an extended period of time. Be forewarned, however, that this lifestyle is not for the faint of heart, nor those with a weak stomach for non-traditional methods of making a buck!

At first glance, those of us who do not report to the corporate bell every morning seem to be living the ideal lifestyle … without a care in the world, and all the time to pursue the passion that have called us all into the ocean. Sure, to the untrained eye we are all slackers who surf everyday, lounge about during the early hours of the morning while the rest of the populace fight the morning traffic commute to their cubicles, and still manage to eke out a mediocre living without as much as a board meeting or management training session to attend. Like I said, to the untrained eye this is what it seems to be like.

The corporate latch-key keys of this generation were mostly high-powered executives and professionals that have decided to take control of their own financial and mental well-being, while relinquishing the creature comforts of a steady paycheck, pre-determined agenda on a daily basis, health care benefits, and an all-too-easily achieved daily social circle via the cubicle rows or the water cooler. Imagine what would happen if you lost your job today; right now, this very second a voice on the telephone (or an e-mail in your box) informs you that you have no “job” to report to in the morning. No office to occupy, no destination to travel to routinely, and no meetings to attend. Initially, you would jump for joy and thank the lucky stars that you have been freed from the enslavement that shackled you like slaves in the shadow of the the pyramids. Right? And then what?

The reality sets in with one glaring obvious fact: you no longer have the safety net of the corporate world to regulate your days, your schedules, your ego, and your finances. Luxuries like effortless socialization, free healthcare, regimented schedules and agendas – things that you once cursed and vowed to leave behind – seem like necessary evils that provided you with numerous highs and easy access. Much like the withdrawal pangs that a junkie experiences as they ween themselves off of the drug that they have depended on for so long, you get the existential shakes, and the spiritual willies! So how do you get over this difficult hump of “working independently”?

Beats me … I’m going surfing! …