PARTING THOUGHTS:
(full story)
Life
Is Either A Daring Adventure ...
... or nothing. These
rather dramatic words come from Helen Keller
whose whole life was arguably one great
adventure. For some reason I thought of her
declaration as I sauntered down a mountain
trail, cheered by the beauty of early morning
sun and the chaotic hum of nature that
surrounded me. It caused me to wonder what
constitutes a true "adventure" and how our
lives can become one.
Having just returned with my
family from the "awe"some natural bridges of
Arches National Park, the yawning expanses of
Canyonland National Park (both in Moab, Utah), and
inspired (as always) by the spiritual beauty and
serenity of Yosemite, the feel of "adventure" is
still fresh in my heart.
Perhaps a good definition of
"adventure" is when you are not sure of what is
coming next. And the less we know (or think we
know), the bigger the adventure. Clearly, almost
everything in Helen Keller's early life must have
been an adventure —since without the benefit of
either sight or hearing, there was no way she
could have guessed what even daily life had in
store. No doubt terrifying at first, she
eventually saw her "not knowing" as a wonderful
adventure of pure learning and experience
—unfettered by preconceived notions. An attitude
and perspective she carried on throughout her life
—and certainly one of her greatest (of many) gifts
to the rest of us.
Is it any wonder then, why so
many of us feel our lives are so "adventureless"?
Our drive for the security of "knowing" has dulled
our senses to that which we can never know for
certain (which, when you think about it, is
probably most things in life). And in the process,
we miss the adventure that is always there, the
thrill in the moment-by-moment creation of the new
"what's next".
Adventures don't have to be
death-defying (you know, like bungee-jumping off
of Angle Falls in the Amazon, using only natural
vines tied to your ankles, that sort of thing...).
However, adventures are always life enhancing in
that we must be awake to life to experience them.
It could be as simple as listening, really
listening, to your child as they excitedly tell
you about their latest "discovery" (they're always
in adventure!) Or, it could be as subtle as not
assuming your next customer will have the same
needs as the last and being open to any
possibility. By the way, there is a strong
connection between adventure and creative
solutions...
Experiencing life as an
adventure is more of a state of being, than doing,
an attitude of wonder, rather than the cynicism of
"knowing". Now if all of this seems too, well,
"adventurous" —don't worry. There is one sure way
to get back in touch with your adventure-seeking spirit.
Take some undistracted time in nature (i.e. sans
cell phone, pager, PDA, etc.), the more beautiful
and awe-inspiring the better. Then just sit and
drink it in, and you will soon realize your
adventures started a long time ago. |
