Layne Beachley AO is a seven-time Women’s World Champion surfer from Sydney. A 2006 Surfers’ Hall of Fame inductee and a 2011 Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee, Layne created the Layne Beachley Foundation ‘Aim for the Stars’ in 2003 to enable young girls and women across Australia to invest in their future and fulfil their potential.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and give my teenage self some poignant words of advice, what would they be?

‘Lighten Up!’ Life is too short to take yourself seriously, so be kinder to yourself and those that you love. Comparing yourself to others only makes you feel inadequate, so appreciate others, learn from other people’s mistakes and never put them on a pedestal. Placing them on pedestals or in pits prevents you from placing them in your heart. We all just want to be loved and accepted, even the bullies!

Being my own world’s worst critic, with high expectations, I constantly made the mistake of projecting these expectations onto others. Fortunately, the guidance, love, support and patience of my friends and family help me to focus on the important things and keep my life in perspective by choosing to stop wasting my time worrying about everything out of my control.

‘You can only control the controllable.’ Honestly, the only things we can actually control are the thoughts we have. How often are you truly aware of what you think and how these thoughts affect your life in both a negative and positive way? Where do you place your focus? Do you think about what you don’t want more than what you do want? I want to be happy. I want to belong. I want to be loved. I want to be accepted. Knowing these things enabled me to take actions towards achieving these outcomes and my dream of becoming a world champion.

Thought is expansive. What you think about, you create. The more you think about it, the faster you manifest it. Ultimately you are completely responsible for your current reality, and the sooner you learn to accept accountability for how you think and feel, the faster you will be able to create the life you truly want.

When you are feeling sad, scared, anxious or alone, have the courage to reach out to friends and family. People who support you, love you, believe in you and are willing to listen without criticism or judgement. These are the honesty barometers in your life and they will be your friends and mentors forever. There are too many critics and naysayers in the world who are dream thieves and life vampires. Deprive them of oxygen! The worst thing you can do when times are tough is to run and hide because that only prolongs the pain, suffering and despair.

The ocean is where I feel completely relaxed, nurtured and connected, so spend as much time in the water as you possibly can. Surfing enables you to reconnect with your true self. How do you maintain perspective? By spending time with quality friends, and sharing fears and concerns when they arise.

Find what makes you happy and commit to making the time for that activity every day. No one can make you happy but yourself! The quality of the questions you ask, the quality of people you hang around with and the quality of choices you make determine the quality of your life.

Always believe you are deserving of love and you are enough, just the way you are. Set Your Goals, Live Your Dreams and Never Give Up.