You won’t believe what the world record is for the longest surfing session.

There’s a story behind that.

This is your daily message from Chad, number 1073, to upgrade your mental game today by telling yourself a better story, because the most important story you hear is the story you tell yourself. And this message is dedicated to Chaz Smith who sent me the article for this message.

Here’s the upgrade: You may feel like your struggle is something to hide, but upgraded thinking knows your struggle is something to share—and when you share it, you give other people permission to survive theirs.

Here’s the story: Blake Johnston is a 40-year-old former professional surfer from Australia. Ten years ago, his father died by suicide. For a decade, that loss sat with him and haunted him. It became the thing he could not look away from.

In March 2023, Johnston paddled out at Cronulla Beach in New South Wales at 1 a.m. He stayed in the water for 40 straight hours and rode seven hundred and seven waves. Spotlights helped cut through the darkness. He faced the jellyfish, dehydration, sleep deprivation and hypothermia. Everything hurts. He did it anyway.

He came back to shore after those 40 hours with a world record attached to his name. But he was not chasing a trophy. He was chasing a conversation. He wanted to raise money for mental health. He wanted to honor his father’s memory. He wanted to tell young people—especially the kids he coaches in surfing—that there is a way through. You are not alone. Johnston said it plainly: “I’m not nice to myself at times. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a great husband, father, and friend. But this way I can surf with people, bring in the community and make a difference for the future.” That’s the move. That’s the upgrade. His pain became his message. His loss became his legacy. The 40-hour ocean record raised over $400,000 for a charity for mental health and suicide prevention.

But here’s what happened next: He didn’t stop. He kept building. He broke a wave pool record, riding 4,097 waves across 256 surf sessions. Then, he organized the largest recorded paddleout, gathering 1,027 surfers together. Every milestone. Every record. Every session. Still tied to the same mission. Not personal glory, but community, awareness, and fundraising. Giving people permission to name their pain. He didn’t hide what broke him. He shared it. And in sharing it, he gave permission to thousands of others to name theirs. Then he built a movement around it.

The better story to tell yourself is: “My struggle is not my shame. It’s my strength. And when I share it, I help someone else survive.” That’s the charge today. Tell someone. Not the edited version. The real one. The one that cost you something. The one you’ve been carrying alone. Because the moment you speak it, it stops living in darkness. And the moment you keep moving after that, you build a platform that saves lives. Learn more about Johnston at his website blakeyjohnston.com.

Tell me a story of turning pain into a platform. You can get a free copy of my book, The Most Powerful Story in the World, by going to fromchad.gumroad.com. The transcript of this message and hundreds of others are always available at http://www.fromchad.com.