Full Tilt Boogie
Have you ever been skydiving?
I remember being up, thousands of feet above the mountain range, in Albuquerque, New Mexico alternating between complete terror and total excitement. As the plane rose higher and my stomach began to churn I remember thinking to my self, “Wow, this is really playing full out.”
3-2-1 and out I jumped, with an instructor harnessed to my back, screaming to earth at 125 mph. Within seconds of the rip chord being pulled we were weightlessly sailing through the air. I could see for hundreds of miles and I could only hear the silence of the wind.
I remembered this story recently when I had the realization that somewhere in the day to day of living; working long hours, raising a family and paying the bills, I had moved my sense of adventure to the back burner.
I’ve ridden motorcycles in Morocco, been scuba diving in Maui, ran with the bulls in Spain, and dogsled across the Canadian border, however lately the concept of adventure is more the risk of choosing the hot curry over the mild, or should I shave today or not? Where has my sense of adventure gone and how do I reconnect with it?
I’m wondering if you can relate? Do you, like me, find yourself stuck in the monotonous aspects of living? Do the lines from day to day, even from week to week, blur as you go to the same desk on the same days, eating the same things.
Monday Mindfulness
This week I invite you to take a risk with me and do something brave. Something unplanned or unexpected, even if it’s a small step in an adventurous direction. Make an adventure for yourself and remember that you’re never too old to explore, try new things, and be your own rock star.
Keep your eyes out because my next offering is going to be about adventure.
Wishing you a Mindful Monday.
March 12th, 2007 at 4:21 am
What a breath of fresh air! Jason, the imagery of your jump got me feeling more fresh and alive this morning.
Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to go asleep at the wheel of life. The routines become deep ruts and one day the walls of the ruts are at eye-level and then I feel trapped. I didn’t see them growing all this time.
I like the practice of shaking things up. I am going to do that for next 2 weeks: Look for an opportunity each day to do at least one thing spontaneously or out of the “rut”. To help strengthen this, I will practice mindfulness noting what I am feeling at the time (and where in my body). I bet journaling on this will pull out some interesting learnings.
Thanks!
March 12th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Jason,
Thank you for your call to be brave today! As a new mother who runs several businesses from home, I find myself constantly overwhelmed. And although I have a lot of adventure experiences under my belt, asking for help seems to be my biggest risk these days.
But I did it. I asked for help today, giving the other person the invitation to say “no” (and almost hoping they would so I’d be proven right that I can’t ask for help). But she said “yes!” and now I have the help I need today to get some priorities taken care of. AND gives me a little breathing room.
Thanks for the challenge!
Julianna