S2E16: Brian Heustis

What’s the difference between obsession and passion? When I first met my friend Brian, I thought, “He’s obsessed with surfing.” But I stand corrected. I think I used that term in a slightly judgmental way, to be honest. Because I thought, “How could someone dedicate their life to something so… purely enjoyable?” Part of me thinks that there has to be something that is classically noble in our motivations… that THAT is what makes it passion. Obsession is what we do when we just can’t stop doing a thing.

I was wrong about that, I think. For Brian, surfing and the ocean in general is his holy place. It’s where he finds his center. And I was very grateful that he took the time to explain it to me.