How does it feel to you?
I love the rhythm and feel of it. Somehow it feels eventful, playful and personal to me. How would you describe it?
M-w.com says that Adventure is: 1. an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks; 2. an exciting or remarkable experience.
Hmmm…danger and unknown risks? Sounds like it might be scary, doesn’t it?
However, Adventure is a very useful tool in the living of an Artful Journey. Adventure allows us to connect with a part of ourselves that wants to be expressed. Adventure asks us to tune in and decide what a little excitement or a little stretch would feel like.
Sometimes, Adventure is big. It can be some grand escapade or extreme sport or big travel journey to an exotic destination. Is that what it feels like for you?
Adventure can also be an every day occurrence. It can be in the letting go of the normal routine in some way. It can be in the letting the day happen — following its energy instead of trying to stick to a strict schedule.
Adventure is free — it’s not bound to expectations or rules. It asks you to be flexible and adaptable. It asks you to answer the question, “what feels good in this moment?”, and being ok with the answer even if it doesn’t quite make sense.
Adventure looks different for everyone.
For some people, it can feel tempting to forget Adventure — relying on the predictability of routine and what feels comfortable. We miss so much when we let Adventure go by the wayside.
Adventure asks us to lean into it. When we feel that scary unknown, it can be tempting to put the brakes on. Doubts come up and if we let them, they might take over.
Instead, the invitation here is to lean into the unknown — in awe, wonder and curiosity. When we do this, we are opening up the doors to a remarkable experience — just as the definition above tells us.
Recently, I had a few Adventure-filled days. I went camping, something I hadn’t done for a very long time. My companion and I followed the energy of the structure-less days — tuning in to what sounded good in the moment.
Whether it was a boat ride on the lake, intently watching the campfire, a deep discussion, or randomly playing darts with strangers, we delved into the activity with that sense of freedom and playfulness — knowing that Adventure had our back.
And so far, I’ve just touched on the external adventures. There’s another kind as well: Internal Adventures— the kind that stretch you in ways you never knew were possible. Internal adventures means looking at the foundations of your life — things like Trust, Love, Money, Creativity, Relationship, Purpose… Yeah, just minor things like that.
Delving into these types of topics can certainly involve danger and unknown risks. It’s disconcerting to evaluate things like money or love or trust and realize you want to re-write what you always thought to be true. It can feel lonely and dis-orienting at first.
And it can be extremely liberating to accept that perhaps you have a different definition of ___________ (fill in the blank) than most people you know. It allows for such freedom and the ability to creatively live your life.
So, this week, step into Adventure. See where she might like you to stretch and experience something exciting and remarkable. And see what happens as a result.
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If you’d like to read a Story of Adventure (what it’s like to actually live the concept), join me on Medium here.