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Weekly RAA E-lert>
RAA Daily adventure and exceptional relationships
July 1, 2007
Adventure makes the world spin. My personal relationships
are infused with it – socially, with my wife and especially
the one I have with my seven-year-old daughter. For both of
us, there is nothing better than having a heaping portion
of adventure to consume during the day. Adventure
motivates. It colors many of my decisions – even simple,
day-to-day ones.
For some, the concept of adventure might summon images of
exotic destinations, extreme sports or wrangling venomous
reptiles. In other words, adventure is something for the
radical adrenaline set. That may well be true; but I
suggest adventure is much broader than that. You don’t have
to join the scruffy queue at Mt. Everest’s base camp to
experience real adventure. Nowhere is this more apparent
than when dealing with children. While adults might become
jaded to the adventure hiding behind every corner, kid's
senses are not so muted. I know this is true because of the
interactions I have with my daughter. And if you are not a
parent, take heart, because the concepts here can apply to
any relationship.
Put a kid and an adult in separate rooms each containing a
broken chair, a ball of yarn and a bowl of Jello and see
who is smiling when the door opens an hour later. In fact,
you might have to drag the kid out if her imagination was
fully engaged. Most adults would not find similar amusement
and value (yes, value!) in such circumstances. As humans,
we become more skilled with practice, so practicing the Art
of Adventure is vital to living a dynamic life. It should
come naturally.
Many adults and teens would benefit from Rediscovering The
Art Of Adventure. Life could be a grand journey, so treat
it as such. Adventurers of any kind can attract interesting
people and fabulous riches into their lives. We are drawn
in when a traveler shares tales of interesting experiences.
When an inspired and creative businessperson relates to us
stories of risk and success, we perk up and pay rapt
attention. The most successful people in the world lead
lives riddled with adventure – most of it consciously
created. This is something anyone can (re)learn.
One of the reasons my daughter and I get along is that I
cultivate the spirit of adventure and apply it as often as
possible with her. Even the most basic activities are
transformed into episodes of fun and learning. For example,
consider the mundane chore of making a trip to the grocery
store – generally not a high-ranking activity on the
fun-o-meter. There are a couple of different ways I could
get my daughter out of the house with me. It might sound
something like this, "I need to get some groceries and
you've got to come with me. Let's go." I'm the adult, so
she should do as I say.
Or, if I wanted to apply a little creativity and fun to the
equation, I could tell her, "Guess what? We are in
desperate need of some groceries and I need your help. I've
got a red bandanna that I'm going to blind myself with at
the store. If you are up to it, I need you to get into the
grocery cart and guide me down the aisles to find and
collect the groceries we need. You will be my eyes. Let's
go!"
Now, ask yourself which scenario would appeal to a kid
more. The mundane becomes extraordinary. Do you think we'd
have fun undertaking such an errand? You bet. Might we look
a little out of the ordinary and risk odd looks from
baffled shoppers? Probably. Would my daughter learn
something from the experience? Something about leadership?
Perhaps something that would build her confidence? Would
she have fun? Would I? More importantly, would you?
This type of thinking becomes habit with practice. If you
are willing to commit yourself to the process, you can
inject a healthy dose of adventure into your life – without
risking bodily harm or radically changing your current
lifestyle. I contend that this kind of approach can impact
every aspect of life, work, spirituality and relationships
of all types. Creating a personal Adventure Practice will
mean a life filled with passion, purpose and magnetic fun.
To experience anything in life, you must take action to
lead yourself towards your desired outcome – a healthy
body, a fantastic relationship, a prosperous and rewarding
career, whatever it might be. If you are game to Rediscover
the Art of Adventure, you’ll have to take that first step,
which will propel you into making the transformation you
are searching for. Adventure is but a decision away.
Kerry Ward is a resident of Vancouver, BC. © Kerry Ward 2007-2008
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