Life Is An Adventure, So Don’t Fear It
Posted by Dan on June 06, 2009 in Worldview
Suburbia or this?
Lately just about every time I see a blog post with fear in the title I roll my eyes and think to myself “here is another boring post pumped out by an article writer to fill the Bloggers posting schedule”. I’m probably right much of the time too. But I picked up the latest issue of Mens Health magazine the other day and began reading the feature with Ewan McGregor and some of the rules he lives his life by, I look up to this guy because he is very successful, he puts adventure and living high on his list of priorities and he has a good head on his shoulders and not allowed materialism to take over his life.
Fear of what others might say or think often holds us back.
Personally it has been a big problem in my own life but with practice and a new outlook I’m getting a lot better at knowing when to ignore the expectations others put on us, real or imagined.
McGregor talked about meeting a couple who were traveling for 4 years with their children, they were often asked “what about their education?” McGregor’s thoughts are “Fuck school. Look at the education you’re giving these children. Look at the example you’re setting for them. What a life!”.
It’s a great philosophy, tell society to take its rules shove them somewhere they don’t want them. You don’t have to live by those rules, they’ve been around a long time and have proven again and again that they only make a minority of people truly happy with their lives. How can a life that aspires to nothing more than mediocrity really bring happiness? For a few people it will but if you’ve read this far that probably isn’t you. You have to ask yourself what makes you happy? For me, it’s seeing the world, meeting it’s people, learning it’s history, it’s also trying new things, challenging my beliefs and simply experiencing as much as it has to offer that I can take in. This makes me happy because I feel like these experiences teach me about the world and make me a better person. How can a career and mortgage in Normalville teach me these things? Maybe it can, but the way I plan on learning is a whole lot more fun for me.
The only time you should fear life is when you don’t feel like you are on an adventure.
Reserve fear for things that make you feel like you are not living, this makes fear a posotive emotion and removes the negativeness we have been condinitoned to assosciate with it. Your mindset can make a big difference in your life so any chance to turn a negative into a posotive should be jumped on. That’s a LifeHack.
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I agree with what you’re saying.
There is no sense in living with fear of what others may think. It’s none of our business anyway.
Hi Dan,
My biggest fear is living a mediocre life in “Normalville.” It seriously keeps me up at night and it probably doesn’t help that I am approaching mid-life crisis time.
I could go out and buy a Harley and just endure another 25 years by turning my brain off in my own company, or I can decide to do challenging work now. I am choosing to follow a new path because, regardless of the financial outcome, that is this only way I can find any satisfaction.
Traveling and experiencing the world are certainly worthwhile pursuits, but I feel true “living” involves contribution and creating something of value in the world. Life is not about how much you do for yourself, it is about how much you do for others. I firmly believe in living in other countries around the world, but I also work hard on various projects while I am there.
@John I agree, you can’t just take you have to give back as well and I think it will be a big part of what I’ll do on my next adventure, I would like to do something like what @insearchofsanuk is doing or the Papi guys in Cambodia. It’s weighing much more on my mind because I do want to dedicate time to projects for others like those when I’m in such a fortunate position.
Hi Dan, what you say is good when you are a young bloke,I agree go out and discover that wide world,and meet some very interesting people and experiences.Do it when your young,as life is not all about beer and skittles.Sometime you have to settle down and make a quid,get something behind you and then maybe you can do it again in a different light.Believe me mate as I have done it.
@Duncan Yeah I’m very much one of those “I don’t wanna grow up” people. I wonder what my mum thinks about me when/if she reads this stuff, but now I have to think “meh”, I’ve had enough worrying about that. She has mentioned how you’ve done well for yourself. I guess being gen Y along with the other people I’m chatting with we are wanting these things now and rather than getting something behind us first we want to do it on the go. We’ll so how it goes and I’ll make a point to catch up with you in Viet Nam one of these days.
Have you seen “The Long Way Round”? Its the TV series where Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman travelled around the world on motorbikes. Their attitude towards travelling and learning from the people and cultures that they encounter along the way is truly inspiring.
Yes, I have it on DVD actually and Charley has done By Any Means recently, he is currently doing By Any Means 2 and he is tweeting it with Claudio.
I’ll need to pick up a copy of By Any Means, I missed it on TV. Thanks for the heads up on the tweeting – I’m now following them both.
hmmm suburbia or that?? I think I will go with that…
I also couldnt agree with you more that the only time you should be fearing life is when you don’t feel like you are on an adventure. I actually recently posted an article on my site about how life can sometimes get too comfortable, and the negative effect it can have on you. You should check it out.
Is that the Tiger Temple in Krabi?? If you haven’t been there, we’ll have to have a little adventure when you make it out here to Thailand! Great photo!
@Cody Yeah it is, had to use it when I saw that pic. So disappointed I drove through Krabi, only stopped for food and money, lol. Looking forward to December, looks like it will definitely be on.
Good luck and have fun Dan! I totally agree with what you stated. I keep thinking about the quote, “The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living”.