What defines us as skiers? Our physical condition, our skiing ability, or our mental state? The primary obstacle in skiing is establishing a suitable level of self-assurance. We attain confidence through experiences that result in positive outcomes from the situations we encounter. However, we acknowledge that nothing is definitive in the field of skiing, and as it can change in an instant, our confidence may not find a solid base.
We establish our confidence through the performance of our actions. When the outcome is not as anticipated, we inquire if the subsequent one will also be negative. A single negative outcome can undermine the confidence that has been generated by multiple positive efforts. This singular negative outcome instills uncertainty regarding our own capabilities and future prospects.
This perception of our skiing tends to make us disconfident; our confidence gradually fades. At that point, we become pessimistic and ready to defend ourselves against the negative effects generated by the loss of confidence, which weakens us physically and affectively. Hence, it is imperative to keep in mind that errors are always feasible.
The problem of identification
Another problem we face when skiing is that of identification. If we do not educate to feel for ourselves, then we will fall into the trap of identifying ourselves with other skiers in order to value ourselves. This will generate the tendency to become what we observe. Although it is appropriate to do so in the initial stages of our learning, when we reach independence, it is detrimental because we will eventually have to find our own center.
If we identify with the idea of being mediocre skiers because we have experienced a couple of negative results, our fear of remaining mediocre will increase because we will be identifying with the idea of mediocrity.
Each identification is illusory, which leads to illusory results. We become accustomed to constantly identifying ourselves, which does not last, but gives us a false and momentary sense of certainty. To mitigate this issue, the remedy is to identify with a robust and uplifting notion or image. Initially, as we disidentify with the negative aspects of our skiing, we experience a state of emptiness.
