June 20 - Beyond Routine: The Adventure of Living Fully

“You can’t fall if you don’t climb. But there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground.” Unknown

Every day feels the same. You wake up to the blaring of the same alarm, follow the same route to work, complete the same tasks, and return home to the familiar routine of dinner, TV, and sleep. Repeat. Every. Single. Day. This is the danger zone – the monotonous mire where a life devoid of adventure languishes.

There can be certain comfort in routine. It provides a sense of stability and predictability. But what it also breeds is boredom, a gnawing emptiness that slowly saps your motivation and zest for life. Without the excitement and novelty that adventure brings, enthusiasm wanes, replaced by a disheartening sense of apathy.

Think back to a time you felt truly alive. Chances are, it wasn't during a monotonous Tuesday afternoon spent scrolling through social media. It was likely during a time you challenged yourself, explored something new, or stepped outside your comfort zone. Adventure isn't just about adrenaline-pumping thrills; it's about keeping that spark of curiosity alive, that yearning to learn and grow. Turning fifty, I realized there are so many things I have never done. I vowed this year, to say yes to everything and I am striving to do things I have never done, even if they are scary!

“Stop being boring and show the world what awesome looks like.” Robby Novak, Kid President

The real danger of a life without adventure lies in the missed opportunities. Without the willingness to embrace the unknown, you may miss out on experiences that could have shaped you in profound ways. It could be the chance to learn a new language on a whim, volunteer your skills in a developing country, or simply strike up a conversation with someone fascinatingly different from yourself. These experiences, big or small, broaden our perspectives, challenge our assumptions, and ultimately, help us discover who we truly are and what we're capable of achieving.

Perhaps you find yourself living vicariously, glued to a screen, watching others conquer mountains or navigate bustling foreign streets. While these shows may spark a fleeting sense of excitement, they ultimately leave you feeling unfulfilled. The thrill of the climb, the satisfaction of overcoming a language barrier – these experiences are meant to be lived, not merely observed. As Rick Rubin aptly states in The Creative Act: A Way of Being, "The energy of wonder and discovery can get lost when treading the same ground over and over again."

“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt

The good news is adventure doesn't require a plane ticket to a faraway land. As Simon Scott reminds us in Scare Your Soul, "The biggest myth about leading an adventurous life is that we must travel to experience one." Adventure is a state of mind, a willingness to embrace the unexpected, to inject a dose of novelty into the seemingly mundane.

Tomorrow, we will explore how to overcome these obstacles and begin weaving adventure into the fabric of your everyday life. So, put down the remote, silence the internal critic, and get ready to step outside your comfort zone. The world is waiting to be explored, and the true adventure lies in taking the first step.

Activity –

Unusual Festival: Attend an unusual or quirky festival, such as a hot air balloon festival, tomato throwing festival, or a Renaissance fair, to experience something completely out of the ordinary.

In today's increasingly digital world, it's easy to lose sight of what makes us human. The constant bombardment of screens and social media can distract us from cultivating essential qualities like kindness, empathy, and resilience.

My book, Nurturing Hopeful Resilience,  guides parents and caregivers through the challenges of raising children in a technology-driven age. It explores the importance of instilling strong values in children from a young age to help them develop into compassionate, responsible, and fulfilled individuals.

Through a series of practical exercises and insightful reflections, this book delves into fourteen core values: curiosity, awareness, kindness, learning, self-awareness, fairness, playfulness, compassion, service, belonging, trustworthiness, authenticity, community, and responsibility. Understanding and nurturing these values can empower our children to thrive in a complex and ever-changing world.

This book offers a roadmap for raising children who are academically successful, emotionally intelligent, socially adept, and morally grounded. It encourages readers to prioritize human connection, empathy, and compassion over material possessions and fleeting digital distractions. By embracing the power of values, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come.