Iwas45yearsoldwhenIdecidedtolearnhowtosurf.Theysaythatlifeistoughenough.ButIguessIliketomakethingsdifficultonmyself,becauseIdothatallthetime,everydayandonpurpose.That'sbecauseIbelieveindisruptingmycomfortzone.WhenIstartedoutintheentertainmentbusiness,ImadealistofpeoplethatIthoughtwouldbegoodtome.Notpeoplewhocouldgivemeajoboradeal,butpeoplewhocouldshakemeup,teachmesomething,challengemyideasaboutmyselfandtheworld.SoIstartedcallingupexpertsinallkindsoffields.Someofthemwereworld-famous.Ofcourse,Ididn'tknowanyofthesepeopleandnoneofthemknewme.
Andevenwhentheyagreedtogivemesomeoftheirtime,theresultsweren'talwayswhatonemightdescribeaspleasant.Take,forexample,EdwardTeller,thefatherofthehydrogenbomb.Ittookmeayearofbeggingandmorebeggingtogettohimtoagreetomeetwithme.Andthenwhathappened?Heridiculedmeandinsultedme.Butthatwasokay.Iwashopingtolearnsomethingfromhim—andIdid,evenifitwasonlythatI'mnotthatinterestingtoaphysicistwithnotasteforourpopculture.Overthelast30years,I'veproducedmorethan50moviesand20televisionseries.I'msuccessfuland,inmybusiness,prettywellknown.SowhydoIcontinuetosubjectmyselftothissortofthing?Theanswerissimple:Disruptingmycomfortzone,bombardingmyselfwithchallengingpeopleandsituations—thisisthebestwaythatIknowtokeepgrowing.AndtoparaphraseabiologistIoncemet,ifyou'renotgrowing,you'redying.SomaybeI'mnotthebestsurferonthenorthshore,butthat'sokay.Thediscomfort,theuncertainty,thephysicalandmentalchallengethatIgetfromthis—allthethingsthattoomanyofusspendourtimeandenergytryingtoavoid—theyarepreciselythethingsthatkeepmeinthegame.