Time marches on no matter what we do; everything else is variable. Many are the places I have visited and thought to myself, “This is wonderful. I’ll come back next year to see more of this place,” and then life happens and I never return. When I was 15, I was in Nova Scotia on Outward Bound and I thought to myself, “Next year, when I can drive, I’ll come back and camp in the forests of Cape Breton.” Fifty years later, I have yet to return. It never made it into my schedule.
There are a few books that I like to revisit; Philosophy for Polar Explorers by Erling Kagge is one of them. I have no interest in walking to the South Pole alone, as he did, but it was a dream of his and he acted on it. We all have dreams and, if we only listen to what others advise us, we may do nothing. No matter what we are envisioning, there will always be a naysayer. This is the time to follow our dreams because, if not now, when? As the wise man once said, it is easier to take ourselves out of our dreams than to take the dreams out of ourselves. Whatever your dream is, be it the very best tomato garden in the world, going to a faraway country and speaking a new language, learning calligraphy, or perhaps some physical challenge, remember we are capable of hard things, far beyond what reasonable people will advise you. My quest to become a ski racer in my mid-sixties is improbable verging on impossible. It is something I have been told is dangerous, resource-intensive, and somewhat nuts. But if not now, when? Do I really think next year will be better?
We are wired for negativity, but let’s flip that for a moment and expect positive outcomes because optimism is contagious. Your movement will inspire others to also take that first initiative. The final step in a journey is dependent on the first, and unless your quest entails truly catastrophic costs of failure, start your planning and make that first step. We may not make it to our summit, whatever that goal may be, but the act of effortful trying will bring us into a process that is itself of tremendous value. Inertia is our mortal enemy. Stasis leads to a life of contraction on all fronts, which may be fine with some people; it is their choice and I have no problem with that. It doesn’t work for me. There are only so many summers left, and there are so very many new horizons I am intent on seeing. We have agency, we can make choices, and we can act on them. Not acting is also a choice and, as a way of life, will lead us to zero. It takes a long time to learn how to live, but once we do, we need to get going. Let’s do this together.
Onward and upward,
David
