From the moment we are born, we are swept up by society's systems. We enter through the medical system, transfer into an education system, and then are spit out into the workforce.
Most people don't have the time or the opportunity to get to know themselves or what they are really made of. And yet, they are expected to live functional lives in their careers and families.
This never made a lot of sense to me.
How can someone who hasn't taken any kind of journey into self-discovery go to work day after day and be fulfilled? How can that person raise children and inform young ones of what's important in life? How can they confidently introduce themselves when their spirit has never been tested by adventure?
We all need adventure in our lives. But unfortunately, most of us never take it.
Without conscious effort, we don't have many chances to take a real adventure. We might go on trips to novel places, but those too are often organized and curated, previously deemed as "safe" or "enjoyable." Going on vacation is about the closest we get to being on an adventure.
The average modern-day person almost never exposes themselves to chaos, the unknown, or a life of consequence.
The terrible thing about modern life is that true fulfillment requires risk, but our lives don't ask us to risk much at all. If we can only tamp down our desire for more, we can get by in the corporate world for several decades until we are eligible for retirement. And when we retire, we'll realize our horizons have hardly expanded over those decades. We’ve contributed to the workforce, but otherwise, learned nothing.
Thus, we live in an epidemic of despair. People young and old suffer, and depression is now the most common form of mental illness in the United States. The statistics show that cases are steadily rising year after year.
So how can we possibly want more when our environment doesn't allow for it?
If we pretend we are unaware that our current environment is killing us, we become willing participants of the societal systems that push us back into our categorical boxes. When you're in the box, it isn't possible to ask for more because no matter how hard you look, there isn't anything there.
You have to get outside the box.
That means, you need to take action. You'll need to take on additional risk and responsibility, but you'll have the freedom to explore and the potential to live the life of fulfillment your heart is yearning for.
Yes, it's scary. But take a look around you — it's scary in here, too. You probably just never noticed it.
In what seems like a safe zone are actually toxic traps that kill you slowly. Indulgence in exchange for fulfillment. Quick fixes instead of sustainable habits. Cheap rewards but no real personal growth. You receive your little handouts and accept the illnesses of the body and mind that society says, "come with the territory."
We are presented with two dangers: a slow but sure death in our comfort zones, OR taking a step into the unknown.
The raging sea of unknowns is full of both hope and peril. We do not know how the waters will be when we step in. We don't have a boat. We know nothing of navigating these waters.
But we can learn.
It's too risky to stay in the land of the familiar where a slow stream of toxicity numbs us a little more every day.
If we could just become acquainted with the unknown waters, a little at a time, we might become competent sailors that can get out of this toxic land.
Out there is where all the other adventurers are. And there are islands, even continents of hope.
On your way, you will meet others who have also ventured away from familiar lands, and you can exchange maps and information. You may even meet pirates and hustlers who take advantage of new adventurers, but you'll get better at identifying them as you go.
Over time, you'll learn how to make your boat more resilient and sail with greater confidence.
Inspiring call to adventure Leslie. I love your closing remark, "You may even meet pirates and hustlers who take advantage of new adventurers, but you'll get better at identifying them as you go." And to your point, the pirates and hustlers aren't waiting for us to leave our homes to scam, steal, or deceive us, so we might as well get the heck out there!