“True adventure is not an experience that can be captured on television or sold like a commodity.” – Rolf Potts
But man, don’t we try.
When I looked at the busy paths of Mt. Fuji, what occurred to me is that we don’t stop to experience. We move forward to collect.
Not all of us, I know. And I sincerely hope that I don’t.
But we should be more aware of where we are – here and now is vastly more meaningful than there or then.
Procrastination is easy.
I was reading, typing — yes, but reading as well. There are so many things that require my attention. And I’m putting them off.
To write, which is another thing that requires my attention. How do I do it all? The answer is: you can’t.
When are you energized?
Every body is different, and everybody has energy levels that peak and trough during their day.
Allocating your peak performance time to things that require the best of your attention – that’s how to get things done.
In the annals of travel, Japan is fairly well publicized. In fact, I’d argue that for the past three or four years, Japan has received, warranted, if somewhat unwanted, excess attention.
And why is that? One, the land is beautiful. Roughly 80% of Japan is mountainous, an island nation with sandy or rocky beaches all around. Its metropolitan areas are metropolitan in ways that few cities in the world can compare with. Some of the technology is mind blowing.
And there’s history, too. Amazing architecture, solemn reverie, and natural splendor. The residents take care of their place (Kabuki-cho notwithstanding, where you are apt to see litter, public intoxication, and touts offering all kinds of entertainment).
But even seedy Japan is no worse than something like Greenwich Village in New York, and much less seedy than some areas in San Francisco. It is about as safe a place as you could visit, which I think certainly adds to the touristy appeal.
For someone with a lot of interests, isn’t life interesting? There is always something that can occupy your time.
When I think of people I know, how dissatisfied they seem with life, it comes as a surprise. With so much to explore, there is so much to be grateful for.
Framing matters a lot. Even when bad things happen, if you can highlight the good that still exists, then the negative will be minimized.
It doesn’t have to be nonexistent. Bad things happen. Jobs are lost, loved ones pass, and times can be tough. But we’re still here.
On a plane. Again. I’ve been flying quite frequently this year. At the moment, I’m heading to LA, for a brief overnight stay, before heading back to Japan.
My brother and I have been taking yearly trips to the country for a few years now, and it’s always a good time.
I was first introduced to the culture and language when I was in high school. I was fortunate enough to enroll in the school’s first Japanese language class, and I’ve had a semi-love affair with it ever since.
In fact, I study the language every day, even if only for fifteen or thirty minutes at a time.
Not that I’m fluent, by any stretch of the imagination. But I do speak enough to get lost, or unlost, while visiting.
Travel stopped being an adventure when the trip became too fast. It became a drive. A flight. A day or less, anywhere in the world. Luxuries became common, and we were able to pack our comforts in ways that we weren’t able to before — and certainly wouldn’t, if it were an adventure.
What do we lose when the destination is all there is?
Sometimes, sitting to write takes a lot of willpower. There is no shortage of things that can eat at your attention.
Is it the day to day? Or is it something broader? What should our attention be on?
“Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” – Erica Jong
The internet, and everything on it, is amazing.
I mean, yes – some of it is complete rage bait. Trolling, and terrible people, saying terrible things, from the relative anonymity of their aliases.
But, and I am an optimist, the internet has some much to offer – each and every one of us.
My thought is, though – what if, rather than being always connected, you limited the flow?
If your baseline is a fire hydrant flow, it’s going to hurt. If your base line is off, just turning the tap a bit can give you a glass of water.
It’s confusing want and need, and we’re being conditioned to think everything out there is needed. When it’s not.
We allow ourselves the luxury of distraction. What we should be making room for is inspiration.
Why do great ideas come to us in the shower? It’s the only time anymore that nothing else is demanding our attention.
From sun up, when you first grab your phone. To night… If the only time you can be alone with your thoughts – no phone, no internet, no tv, no distractions – is in the shower, what else would you expect?
Giving yourself time to just sit and think. That’s how to create something meaningful.
Michael's Musings 