I’ve always had a yearning to do something great in life. When I was a kid, my parents and grandparents would take me for hikes in the mountains. I never appreciated it much back then, always being more focused on getting through the day and returning home. The main thing that I’d dislike about them, is how mundane the whole thing felt. I’m kind of weird in the sense that, if I don’t like how something sounds, I need to change the word for it. To me the word adventure is more than a word, it’s a feeling, an experience. Hiking felt like something everyone does, but not everyone goes on adventures. It’s only now that I have the means to start scratching the surface of my own adventures. This summer, I think there were months where I was out the door every Friday at 6pm, not back till 8pm Sunday. Regardless of what people will tell you, I believe that everyone is searching for their own “adventure”.
Now, when I say adventure, I don’t necessarily mean climbing Mount Everest, or swimming with sharks. The meaning that I see behind adventure, is to bravely step into a new situation, that you’ve never experienced before, and come out a better individual because of it. If you’ve never bought your own car before, going by yourself into a new environment, meeting new people, and making a decision that impacts your life, that’s being adventurous. Regardless what anyone says, there are a lot of seemingly small things that require confidence, bravery, and deep thought. Most everyone has some sort of safety net, acknowledged by the psyche, that we try to maintain in case of failure. Getting out of the safe zone and venturing into the unknown is pretty brave, especially when wrong choices can lead to large consequences.
I’ve only met a handful of people so far, and it may be a relatively small group comparatively, but from what I’ve seen there are 2 kinds of people. First, we have the “Adventurers”. These people may or may not know what they’re looking for, but chase it regardless. They’re usually fairly happy, and when they do become sad, it isn’t due to internal strife, but from frustration or confusion. This is because they know what they want but they just can’t figure out how to get there, something is blocking the path. This is the type of person you see in gyms, trying hard in school, or excelling at work. They do these things because they know that it betters them, these things are simply tools, helping them to reach their final goal. Regardless of reaching their goal or not, they maintain their mindset. there is always another goal, another peak to summit. The second type of person I term a “Given Up” person. I know a lot of this group of people. They either don’t think that what they want is possible, or they believe that they weren’t meant for greatness. These people have temporary happiness and their general dissatisfaction stems from uncertainty and internal strife. This type of person can be found watching TV on a beautiful day, blowing off friends for no reason, not progressing at work, or having no idea where they want life to lead. These people have given up, have tricked themselves into being comfortable with mediocrity and a mundane lifestyle. To them, an adventurer’s lifestyle seems like something out of a book, not meant for a regular person. In reality the only thing that separates these two people most the time, is a simple mind set. I believe that everyone has the desire to be great, to be an adventurer in their own right. I am no expert on self help, and have a long way to go before I know it all, but in my limited experience here’s what I think:
- Find something new that intrigues you
- Completely throw yourself into it
- Let go of pride & ego. No one becomes an expert in a week
- Surround yourself with uplifting, healthy people who are also bettering themselves
- (And most importantly!) Don’t give up!!
After high school I didn’t do much of anything. I would hang out with a few friends every once in a while, but besides that, I was working, at school, or at home on my computer. I still had the desire to be great in my head, but I had told myself that it wasn’t for me. No, I was destined for a desk. Financial stability, devoid of excitement and distinction. I wasn’t doing well in college, because I had no idea what I wanted to do afterwards. It all stopped when I walked into a climbing gym. I walked through the door with an open mind, no pride, and a resolve to persevere no matter what. In time, I met new friends. They showed me new, intriguing things that I’d never even considered before, things like yoga or ACRO yoga. That’s right. Yoga not enough? Why not add a second person you’re flipping through the air? These new communities I found myself in were filled with more people on the same path, with the same mindset to strive, reach, and achieve. I’m 100% happier than I was last year. But if I’d never stepped into that gym, I wouldn’t have had any of these experiences. My new problem is that I need more money to support my adventures. I’m no longer spending money on video games or other non productive activities, but experiences that grow me as a person. Again, I’m no expert, but this distinction has become very apparent in my life. The people who try to do great things don’t always achieve them, but they get 100x farther than those who never take the first step.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”