“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet
will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are
conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which
may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous
to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic
core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life
comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater
joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and
different sun.”
- Jon Krakauer
Recently I had a conundrum in my life that I couldn’t seem
to get passed. It wasn’t a major event or series of events that changed my
outlook; but instead, a self-reflection. I looked at myself and those around me
and asked, “Am I really happy?” This made my mind go crazy and reflect in more
directions than I could comprehend at any given moment. Emotions began pouring
through my body and mind as if it were a fast moving stream flowing through a
plethora of pebbles and rocks. I found myself distracted by all of the
different aspects; I couldn’t take one steady path and analyze it as I had
hoped. The bulk of this feeling, coming from the lifestyle I’ve been living.
As I analyzed my situation further, I began to feel
complacent. Nothing I seem to do has felt good enough for me, I feel as though
I’m not progressing, changing; I’m becoming stagnant, almost, boring.
Any of you reading this that know me are probably thinking,
“Levi… complacent?” It sounds absurd to them due to my lifestyle. To them, I’m
always up to something; be it skydiving, scuba diving, rock climbing, mountain
biking, hiking, etc. All of these things I participate in on a regular basis,
but perhaps it is not as ‘regular’ as I’d like.
This becomes more apparent when I pull my career into the
picture. I love my job; the fact that
I’m able to help thousands of people communicate each day is a very rewarding
thing. I’ve been with my current company for 2 years now, and in my position
for 1.5 years. I feel as if I’m stagnant because I haven’t experienced change
in so long. My routine is just that, a routine. Which leads me to sit and
wonder… isn’t there something more? Working thousands of hours a year in order
to get a couple hundred hours to go to the place of my choosing; as money
allows?
Even though work bounds the lifestyle I love, and limits my
freedom. It is also a necessity in order for to be able to do the things I want
to do. It all costs money. Fortunately, there is a way around it; becoming a
professional athlete. It’s an extremely rare opportunity and only a small
portion of individuals that have that dream, will get the opportunity to live
it.
So where does one divide the line of living a life of
adventure and prospering in this beautiful world that was put before us, and
the realm of working to ensure you are secure, can retire, and continue living ‘the
dream’?
Balance seems to be the logical choice, and rightfully so,
but it also comes with compromise. We can’t experience everything, and have
nothing. Yet at the same time, we cannot have everything and experience nothing.
It all depends on how you choose to allocate your recourses (money).
Being a well-rounded person is difficult. You want to have
everything and do everything, but a dollar can only stretch so far. So you
compromise doing things that others might do more often, or on a regular basis,
and you accept that you find happiness in different ways. Some individuals want
to have nothing to show for their money, but be rich in experiences and travel.
Others want to have fancy cars and a big house, but never leave their comfort
zone. Yet those who want a bit of everything, or are financially privileged,
try to get a little bit of both.
It seems to me that this thought isn’t one that will go away
any time soon. It’s something that I continue to search for in my life. More
experiences, more toys, more friends, more traveling, more skills, more time,
just….more. When you’re me, you think about it.
