An adventure is an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome.[1] Adventures may be activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing or participating in extreme sports. The term also broadly refers to any enterprise that is potentially fraught with physical, financial or psychological risk, such as a business venture, a love affair, or other major life undertakings.
Source: Wikipedia
This past week my husband asked me if I felt like my life was an adventure. Last week when we were in Lakeside for vacation I was told at least 4 times by 4 different people that they viewed my life as an adventure. So….it got me to thinking.
I would not say that I am a huge risk taker so that part of the definition does not really apply to me most of the time but I guess in the eyes of others I do have exciting and unusual experiences. To me it is just my life. Kind of like my blog title. ” It’s Just Life” with the tag line “Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary”. My life is just that—an exercise in finding the extraordinary. That may be in observing a mayfly molt at a picnic or having a conversation with a stranger who feels the need to share.
As life swirls around me I realize that now is my moment. If I do not take full advantage of today nobody else will do it for me. When opportunities arise I need to jump at them . I need to live every moment fully. That means different things to different people but to me it means not missing an opportunity to make a connection, to renew a relationship, to have a conversation, to give a needed hug or to just sit and listen.
Life is short. It is so short. I am reminded daily that tomorrow may bring things that are unexpected and difficult to deal with. Health issues arise and life can change in an instant. My three words for the year are Discipline, Serve and Stretch. I am trying to embrace those (You can read that post by clicking here). I believe that life is what you make it to be. You can bumble through barely existing or you can embrace it and live each day to the best of your ability. I choose to do that.
Is your life an adventure? I would love to hear!
40 Comments
Leave a commentI love this post… and I love your outlook. I try to keep my life an adventure although some days it feels like a stress test
I can imagine!!! Your adventures are a bit different than mine but adventures none the less!!! I am not saying my life is stress free but I imagine my type of stress is different than your type of stress at this point!! But you have sweet Lucy to help calm you down, right?
I love every word here Beth Ann! Very Zen.. 🙂 I always keep my Living Zen book close in case I need a nudge to keep me living in the moment. Keeps the anxieties down.. 🙂 If we think happy thoughts, they make our brain happy!
Thanks!!! I agree that it is important to keep the anxieties down. If I have learned anything over the years it is that worrying does not do anything to help anyone so I try hard to keep it at a minimum. Sometimes it still creeps in but it usually involves my kids……once a mother always a mother.
Adventure…challenge…it depends on the moment which word I use. It certainly has never been easy. However, what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.
Very good point!!! Challenge is also a good word for some of the things that come up in life!!!! I am sure you meet them all head on!!!
I am always encouraged and uplifted by your words and advice, Beth Ann. Thank you, as always.
Thanks, Audrey!!!! Chris just got me thinking about it so it seemed like a good blog post!
Those husbands! (Note, exclamation mark.)
!!!!!!!!I always think of you when I use one, Audrey. They seem to be my signature and kind of how I view life—with an exclamation point. 🙂
I’m like you, I like to take advantage of opportunities. People say I live an exciting life and I’m surprised by this since I don’t find myself exciting. I just like learning and experiencing new things.
You and I are alike in that way, aren’t we? I just know that life will pass me by if I just sit and wait for something to happen. I am off on another “adventure” on Wednesday—of the bloggy nature. Stay tuned! 🙂
I may not have the same kind of adventures as yours but I think we all have our own adventures. My biggest one was when I got married to a man who was going to be a minister. We had some very interesting adventures during that time. We moved from one church to another, not knowing how it would turn out but we always were able to meet many really nice people and and get to know and love them.
We all have adventures–they might be different but isn’t life one big adventure?
I guess I’m just a bumble.. LOL
Oh you aren’t a bumble, are you???? I find that hard to believe!!!
Yeah, I’m afraid I am a bumble. I resist change, so therefore I must be a bumble.
Resisting change is not always a bad thing….. And I don’t think that it means you are a bumble at all.
Maybe not yet, but I’m working on it..
I would say you’re embracing your three words quite excellently! I love your adventures! Xoxo
Thanks, Diane! And I am so glad you are blogging again! I have missed you my friend!
DH and I have always had the “life’s an adventure” outlook without giving it much pointed thought. I’m not sure about the risk part (although that element most definitely creeps in!) but the “unknown” ingredient is the part that equals ‘adventure’ to us. That word (adventure) has a positive spin for us. Many may view it as suspect or a negative/unpleasant but they may cling heavily to hard and fast life schedules, etc. Being able to “go with the flow” is a ton easier, less anxiety, and lends the ‘spark’ to the dailies we all have. Note,…looking forward to Wed!!!-D
Go with the flow is definitely a good thing!! Can’t wait till Wednesday!!!! I invited Audrey but she had to decline. 🙁 Too much going on!
Oh where are those “Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” that we had years ago?? Today we are left with the “crazy” part!!!!! LOL!
I think you are very correct in that!!!! Now it is the rainy days of summer. Gee whiz!
Around here, one has to be very careful planning a driving route, since a significant number of roads are impassable or seriously damaged. The flooding continues, also. Moving our RV home from the Miss. river campground. Ugh!
I think the rain will stop sometime—-I hope. I wish we could share some of it with the western states that are in need of rain!!!
Yup!
I love that you are adventurous in a wholesome way. Your life does seem to be one adventure after another in serving others. I love and respect that. I seem to get bogged down in details and I hope I can change that in the coming year.
Oh Mary Ellen! One of those adventures in the next year hopefully will include a visit with you!!!! Miss you!
I love your attitude Beth Ann. I too look at life as an adventure, even the mundane things. I have done much more and seen much more than I ever imagined as a young girl growing up on the farm. Here’s to many more adventures for both of us!!
I like to think of life as an adventure, one never knows what the next day holds.
Exactly!
You are an inspiration Beth. Thanks for just being you.
Aw…thanks, Joanna!!! That was sweet! Hey, make sure you check out my blog on Thursday this week……there is quilting involved!
I view my life like a roller coaster. When I left the tight strictures of my family home I soared up the first hill like a comet – modeling, dating, drinking, dancing, partying. I continued along for a few years like this then became pregnant. I don’t mean to imply being preggers was a downer, but I did go down the hill for a while as I mellowed out & became content in new motherhood. I went up a small hill again when I fell in love & married my first hubby, then crashed down to the bottom when we divorced. I struggled up the biggest hill as I tried to find out who I really was as a single parent, dating in my early 30’s. Then I met & fell in love with a wonderful man but soon after crashed back down as I discovered his alcoholism & we broke apart (4 years). Then I started to climb again when I met my current hubby. As we age together & our sight fails, our hearing fails, etc. it feels like the long slow coast to the finish line.
A long slow coast is not always a bad way to go. So happy you found contentment and happiness after what had to be some very difficult and trying times.
I have always tried to take as many opportunities to learn new things as possible- it was kind of my motto in college… I will never forget my first weekend there my advisor asked “know how to use a chainsaw? Want to learn?” I have tried to continue that philosophy, and am thankful that I have a hubby who is even more adventurous than me! Sometimes that’s scary and sometimes I have to pull him back but we balance each other! Our outlook on life is a quite from Bill Borden, which our pastor in Flagstaff used in a sermon and we never forgot- in fact he even wrote it on our quilt square: No Reserve. No Retreat. No Regret.
Oh I love that quote!!! That is awesome! You and Nate definitely have adventurous spirits and that is a great thing!!! You don’t place limits on yourself and that can stretch you and give you even more adventures!!!
Agreed! Although the puppy has changed our recent adventures, he’s also helped us find new ones we may not have thought of!