ADVENTURE

" Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." - Helen Keller

Your life has the potential to be a wondrous journey, filled with exciting moments and astonishing experiences. It can be a thrilling ride if you are open to exploring all that is available to you. Adventure is the result of your willingness to live life with a spirit of enthusiasm.

An adventure is any experience that takes you beyond your comfort level. Adventures are what make your blood race and your heart beat with anticipation as you expand beyond your perceived limitations as a human. They expand your horizons and take you into a new and exciting worlds. When you feel the aliveness of experimenting with new options and taking risks, you learn the value of adventure in your life.

Since what you make of your life is up to you, you can either create a life filled with miraculous adventures or stay huddled and safe, never experiencing the joyful rush of journeying outside your world with boldness and abandon. A life devoid of adventure may be secure, but is one that lacks texture and color. if you never venture forth, you can never expand and grow.

A sense of adventure is inherent in young children. We are all born with an innate sense of wonder that propels us to explore. Most children are naturally curious and experimental, ready to try anything. They are not held back by fears of societal disapproval or failure. As they grow up, however, the world imposes its fears and limitations upon them, and very often this sense of adventure is buried beneath years of admonishments like "don't touch!" and "behave!" The spark of adventure gets dimmed as they learn to become responsible, mature adults.

This childlike sense of wonder must be reignited so that you can remember the thrill of discovering new worlds. This spark usually shows up as a bold impulses that you may dismiss as silly or imprudent, like a sudden urge to try windsurfing or a desire to travel to Alaska. As you reconnect to this spark and honor it, however, you open the door to wonderful experiences and magical connections. You begin to take bigger and bolder steps toward living your dreams.

There was a time in my life that I was unwilling to heed that spark. I focused all my energy on being responsible and disciplined, neglecting the basic human need to explore and expand. Eventually, my life began to look so dull that I forced myself to snap out of my rigidity and reembrace my long-lost sense of adventure. I missed being the person who was open to discovering new sensations, and who took bold risks. I promised myself back then that I would always make my best effort to remain conscious to that inner spark so that I never missed out on a chance to expand. Since that time, I have been blessed with a miraculous life, filled with incredible journeys and experiences that might have otherwise escaped me if I have not woken up.

During my last trip to New York, I visited Riverside Church on the Upper west side of Manhattan. It was a clear, beautiful night in December, and I suddenly felt the impulse to go up to the top of the church so I could see the magnificent view of the city. I knew from my past experiences that that impulse was a signal that my sense of adventure was leading me toward something wonderful. Despite a mild fear of heights, I climbed what seemed like a thousand steps to the top.

As I had suspected, the view was magnificent. The twinkling lights below glittered like a million stars, reflected in the river like jewels. As I breathed in the cold night air, I experienced one of those moments of perfect joy. I felt a wave of gratitude that I had honored my sense of adventure and given myself the gift of this experience.

Think back to the adventures you have had in your lifetime. Those moments in which you took a leap of faith and expanded beyond your comfort zone are precious gifts, as they can remind you of the joy that is available to you when you embrace life with exuberance. These moments can be turning points in your personal history and inspire you to create new realities for yourself whenever you choose.

Imagine yourself at ninety years old, looking back on your life. What do you want to see? Whenever I think about that, I remember my friend in college who always used to say, " You only regret that which you don't do." I do not want to look back at a life filled with regrets. What I want to see is a life filled with magical moments inspired by adventure like the one I experienced on the roof of that church. Could you use more adventure in your life? If so, follow the words of Goethe:

" Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."