The Death Of Adventure Part 2 : Adventure Awakened

Over 10 years ago I took  flight to Costa Rica, a snap decision made in under a week from booking to flying out.

Just me, a back pack, a lonely planet guide book and a burning desire to travel.


I had barely a word of Spanish under my belt, enough money for a few months if I was frugal & a rough idea that I wanted to back pack from Mexico to the bottom of South America.

The palpable sense of adventure & excitement was ENORMOUS.

But so too was FEAR.

When I stood at the departure gate in a small rural airport & looked out at the single engine plane that would take me to the international airport , I really stared down the fear that was screaming at me to stop this madness.

Was I CRAZY ?!!

My friends and family all said I was, so I must be right ??

Who travels to the other side of the world, no plans, no insurance, no financial back up and no way of knowing if I would be able to call home for help if it all went pear shaped ?

Friends and family were crying all around me as I took first one step through the departure gate and then another.

I straightened my shoulders and set off with purpose towards the plane, but in reality, towards a life of my own making.


That decision was the BEST decision I have EVER made in my life.


BUT

I too have lost my way and don't live a life of adventure as I used too, some how that flame has burnt very low in the fireplace of society.

When this happens, when you stray from your purpose, when you stop living an AUTHENTIC life ,
you cannot escape the weight that settles on your soul.

However , I know it's not practical to throw away all you and I have worked for just to take a one way ticket to some far flung place across the globe, as crazily exciting as that is.

So here are 3 tips that I can offer that will help bring ADVENTURE back to your every day life.

Simple, easy and successful.

They will revolutionize your days and revitalise your sense of adventure, for adventure is begging to become your friend again.

TIPS:



1) FOLLOW YOUR FEET:

These days we are always going SOMEWHERE, when was the last time you went for a walk just for the WALK ?
It is amazing how, when given the opportunity, your feet will guide you to places your soul needs to be.

Take some time out of your busy week for a walk, but not just any walk.

Remove the constraints of time, remove the A-B thinking pattern and just walk.

Turn down that street if you feel so, stop to check that tree out, go where ever it is that your feet take you and believe me , they will lead you to adventure !

This exercise breaks you out of the programmed, patterned thinking and reawakens your body and mind into the spontaneous, timeless patterns of nature and adventure.

It will take time to shut out the worries of the world but is well worth the effort and certainly will awaken adventure in you !


2) DON'T SHOP AT THE SAME PLACE TWICE,  TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO WORK EACH DAY:

Again , we ALL love a bargain and we all have our "go to " places for shopping which we religiously head to when we need supplies.

But think back to when you are travelling. The beauty and adventure in travelling is seeing the boring & mundane in a new light , for instance a casual walk through a town market is exciting with its hustle and bustle BECAUSE we haven't seen it before.

Think about that , it is a new sight, new sound and new experience which your eyes and mind gladly feast upon.

How many times have you left home to drive to work or the shops on your familiar route , only to suddenly have arrived and thought "i don't even remember driving here" ??

That's because, whilst the mind is incredible in memorizing the route, you are actually in a semi hibernated state if you will. With no new stimulus the human mind becomes stagnant and shuts down.

So, leave a few minutes early & drive a different way to work. Who know's you might find a little shop you never knew existed and you can stop in for your groceries in a place you have NEVER been.
That's adventure in everyday life my friends :)



3) START AFRESH :

You may have noticed a theme running through each of the tips thus far.

Routine is often the DEATH of ADVENTURE.

We get so settled being a cog in the machinery of society, we don't deviate from our 5 year plan.

Our day's are the same, week in, week out.We sacrifice our dreams in order to have that house on the hill, send the kids to "that school" or to own "that car".

Now, that's all well and good but if you want to live a life of adventure ( without ditching society & living out of a back pack like a modern day Ghandi) , then you MUST break that pattern of thinking.

Each and EVERY week, you need to be doing something NEW and DIFFERENT than the week before.
It may be just getting up earlier than normal to have a coffee and read a book before work, maybe it's going for a walk somewhere you have never been or perhaps its starting a new hobby such as music, art or gardening.

Whatever it may be, start to LIVE your life AFRESH each WEEK.

Don't wait until you RETIRE to change up your habits and take THAT TRIP.

I have set myself a goal to live 52 different weeks in a year just by doing these 3 tips above and so far I can tell you they are working incredibly.

I don't need to create chaos and upheaval for my family by demanding we sell our house and fly to India for a pilgrimage.

I just go about my day DIFFERENTLY , EVERY DAY.


Adventure is roaring back into my life, like that friend who spot's you across a crowded bar and screams out your name in utter joy at seeing you again.


I hope these tips are helpful, I challenge you to implement them into your week and let me know how successful they are in the comment section below.

Now, go an EMBRACE your old friend ADVENTURE !!!


:)

LockyJ