Explore Life

Martial artist and philosopher, Bruce Lee, once said, “Time can be spent or time can be wasted. But whether you spend it, or waste it, you can’t get it back.”

For me, those words were always very powerful because since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to get as much out of life as possible. At least that’s how I define the multitude of curiosities and interests I’ve explored over the years.

Now, as an adult, I’ve taken that desire to explore and justified it to myself thusly;

Life is too short not to explore the world around me. Life is too fragile not to fill it with as many adventures as I can.

To me it makes more sense to explain my philosophy this way. “Life” and “The World” are resources to be taken advantage of and not wasted.

The world is a resource to be explored. The WHOLE world. There are places, people, sights, sounds, foods, music, cultural encounters to be searched out. Once again, as I see it, if we’re not doing our best to experience, first-hand, as much of the world’s wonders as possible, then that resource is going to waste.

Our lives are a resource to be used for exploration. We have been blessed to be these complex entities with complicated biological and psychological abilities. We have the capability to experience our surroundings both physically and emotionally.

To digest language, art, culture, and our other sensory inputs and process them on an individual level. On a spiritual level.

Our bodies and minds are gifts we should make the most of by treating them to the gambit of experiences the world provides.

Of course, taking advantage of either of these resources can be difficult for some of us. But not impossible.

Maybe you would like to explore the jungles of the Amazon, or explore European castle ruins, or see the pyramids, but you’re limited by your current situation. Poor pay, unforgiving employment, or seemingly inescapable family responsibilities. If this is the case, then who could blame you for feeling hopeless.

However, with some aggressive planning and discipline, anything is possible. One need only to apply themselves. Sounds much easier said than done, and maybe it is. But you’d be surprised what you can accomplish when adopting a goal and persist in achieving it.

Keep in mind what I said previously, though. The WHOLE world is a resource, to include the world right under your nose. As much as you’d be surprised how determined you could be in accomplishing a goal, you’d be just as surprised by the adventures you can find in your own backyard. Personally, I love oddity museums, malls, and exhibits! Give them a try. I bet you’ll get a kick out of them, too.

As a closing sentiment, I would like to pass on the following; I remind you of previous blogs I’ve written where I shared the ideas of adventure and exploration. If you have small children, do your best to instill these ideas into their little heads. Encourage them to explore the world around them and not to fear it.

Back when I was in the military and we used to train with dangerous items or explosives, we were told, “Don’t fear it. Respect it.” That’s the message to pass along to the kids. Don’t fear the world, respect it. And while they are respecting it, tell them to explore it!

There’s a multitude of sensations your body can interpret and enjoy. You owe it to yourself to take full advantage of your good fortune and opportunity.

Moreover, the adventures and wonders contained in our world are there to be discovered and experienced by any and all persons willing to put in a little effort to discover them.

I believe strongly that it’s a resource at our disposal that, when taken advantage of, recharges our lives and regenerates the early adventurous spirit from our childhood. In the end, I feel, this is what leads to a long and happy life.