Adventure asks us to be comfortable with an uncertain future – to see an unknown ahead of us and to continue to walk in that direction. It starts with a spark of curiosity – to see a part of the world unfamiliar to us, meet someone new, create something we never have before, or just exist in a space guided by our imagination, not our limits. – Holstee
The summer time is closing out on us one day and week at a time. Summer became known as a time for adventure. The vacation was a great way you got to do this. Then as we grew into adults we lost this perspective and need. Fear tricks us into thinking this is not something we should be doing. Fear steers us away from risk. Our self-efficacy gets ripped from us.
Practicing and living with an adventurous spirit renews our confidence. Even those audacious ones like scaling a volcano in Hawaii. Running an ultra marathon of 50+ miles, you name it.
The first step we need to practice is challenging ourselves to get away from our routines. To get a perspective needed to challenge yourself. Your head is down when you burry yourself in routines and you cannot see adventure waiting. Instead it becomes a pipe dream that never sees the light of day like your suitcase in the closet. Each time you can make that choice to step away, your circle of comfort grows that it’s possible to take a time out.
Now you build. You’ve seen you can leave things untouched and venture out. One of best things that seems to be recommend you can use to build with is journaling. Take a time out and put some interest in human kind. Not a creepy interest, just one that creates or sparks curiosity. I had an incredible opportunity for the second year in a row to pit crew for a ultra marathoner. This marathoner in 8 hours achieved 3 personal bests and ran a continuous 57+ miles, and finished first overall among 350+ runners. It gave me incredible incite and curiosity in myself. If another human being can do that, what can I do? Might not be to 57+ miles, but is there something else I can do that is just as incredible?
Then you build again. Take a weekend away (most of us can take a weekend, get a weekend, or have every weekend off) from your usual haunts. Somewhere close, but not so close you’re seeing the same things you always see on your tours around town. I recently went to St. Louis, MO. Incredible city and a fun vacation. I was so inspired to take so many more photographs than I ever have been back at home. A change of scenery is a great adventure to take even for a weekend away somewhere.
Then you build on yourself some more. I started at the beginning of this month of August to commit to 30 days with a gratitude journal. It only takes me 5 minutes everyday, 2.5 minutes in the morning and 2.5 minutes in the evening. It made me think beyond my conventional thinking at the begging of my day and at the end. It challenges me to start with a open and present mindset as I head out or before I close out. It brings me back to that start at the end of the day to record again what made the day great. It was possible that I was in front of a possible adventure and I passed it by in my business of the day. This commitment is making those opportunities to adventure out easier to see and take.
There are 30,000 days in your life. When I was 24, I realized I’m almost 9,000 days down. There are no warm-ups, no practice rounds, no reset buttons. Your biggest risk isn’t failing, it’s getting too comfortable. Every day, we’re writing a few more words of a story. I wanted my story to be an adventure and that’s made all the difference. – Drew Houston
Adventure is about being in a state of mind and spirit within yourself. Fear isn’t a trickster. Instead, fear is a mechanism that we should embrace. In moments of needed personal growth for yourself fear is the catalyst. It points us in the right direction and can drive our curiosity. It feeds our need to be brave and strike out. And from that spark, a fire of adventure waits for you.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your Sunday. Do something you’ve never done and always wanted to do. Give me a shout and let me know how it made you feel. Better yet, write it down for yourself.
Shawn
Welcome to In-Between the Pages 
Leave a Reply