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Take an Adventure

"Do you want to take a leap of faith, or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone?" - Saito, Inception

Take an Adventure
There's an adventure in your backyard.

The other day, I learned about The Explorers Club, a unique professional society of approximately 3,500 explorers, scientists, and students that comprise 34 chapters around the world. Established in 1904, its alumni include some of the most famous adventurers and explorers throughout history, and has an exclusive list of members who have 'famous firsts':

I'm working my way through the book, "As Told at the Explorers Club", reading about these various adventures, but just from the list you can see the caliber of its members. It's headquarters in New York, and I've added it to my list of places to try and visit if I'm lucky; and if you quality, they are accepting applicants. 

I'm not as adventurous as someone like Ben Saunders, who has broken the record for the longest polar journey on foot, but my answer to the question of "why go outside?" has taken me scuba diving in the Belizean Reef, multiple visits to the top of Mount Saint Helens, on safari in Phinda game reserve in South Africa, and even as far as exploring Kala Pattar (18,200 ft) overlooking Everest base camp. 

Recently, I came across this lecture from Alastair Humphrey, How to Live Adventurously Every Day, which was a nice reminder on how the idea of an adventure doesn't need to take you to all parts of the world—there are plenty of exciting places to explore in your backyard (and in your own mind).

It comes down to embracing a mindset to live adventurously every day. 

What I found interesting is that 'adventure as a mindset' can also be a good guide for how to live life in general. It roots your thinking on how to go after big things by starting small—maximizing opportunities as they present themselves. It shows how to learn from failures and how to be vulnerable. It says that it's ok and to be willing to accept help, acknowledge weaknesses, and learn from failures. 

These are strengths, not weaknesses. 

Most importantly - it's how you embrace curiosity, step out of your comfort zone, and find joy in the journey.

In a later retrospect, "10500 Days (and almost as many words)", Humphreys elaborates even further:

The notion that it is always better to look for the opportunities for adventure that are available rather than bemoaning the constraints and the problems. You might not have enough time to cycle around the world, of course. So that then leaves you with two options: to either feel sorry for yourself and do nothing at all, or to try to squeeze in as much as you possibly can in the scraps of free time that you do have around the margins of your life. Or you might like the idea of rowing an ocean but don’t have the luxury of enough money for such a project. So again, you can either do nothing except regret not being able to afford that grand adventure, or you can try to do what you can with what you have and do it now.

So, what’s stopping you from your next adventure? Odds are - it's probably you.

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Exploration 🧭

I loved this post by Jason Kottke, "Don't Be the Best. Be the Only":

You can't do thinkism, you can't figure your way there, you have to try and live it out. And that's why most people's remarkable lives are full of detours and dead ends and right turns because it's a very high bar. But if you can get there — you don't need a resume, there's no competition. And it's easy for you because you're doing it. You're not looking over your shoulder, you're just right there. So don't aim to be the best. Be the only.

To Watch 📺

As a long-time fan of Alan Moore's "Watchmen", every so often, I get stuck thinking about "Nothing Ever Ends."

"There is no future. There is no past. Do you see? Time is simultaneous, an intricately structured jewel that humans insist on viewing one edge at a time, when the whole design is visible in every facet." — Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen

Quotables 📚

Susan Kaye Quinn 🌱 (@susankayequinn@wandering.shop)
Attached: 1 image What seeds are you planting? (there’s so much debate about attribution for this, I’m leaving it unattributed)
The Wandering Shop
Life is a garden. Your thoughts and deeds are the seeds. What you harvest will either be flowers or weeds. It’s up to you. - What are you planting in life?

Here are a few random findings that I thought would be interesting to share. It really is just a dump of things sitting in my "thats interesting" pile, that I threw some categories on for you to pick out what tickles your fancy.

Thinking 🤪

Life 🫶🏻

Leadership / Storytelling 📚

Huh. 👽

Tech 📟

AI 🤖

Oddities 🤔

YES! Hans Zimmer is touring again in the US this fall. So happy to check off this bucket list concert!

Be well. ✌🏻

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Jamie Larson
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