Staying Sane
A wise man one said, "Do what you can with what you have where you are".
That wise man was Theodore Roosevelt.
When I came across this quote on reddit, I suddenly had an epiphany: The enemy of this quote is a nasty combination of human nature and advertising, and I might be the most guilty.
If you are like me, you have said to yourself "if I get a ______ then I will ______", or "If I just buy this one piece of equipment then I can do ________" or "If I just get in front of that one band then I can get a __________ rating" or "I will eat a certain way when I buy ___________."
All of the questions above are personal examples of how I have fallen victim to this mindset.
So how do we combat this toxic way of thinking? We do what we can, with what we have, where we are.
I can't tell you how many miles I have driven to pursue things or hobbies because I was not content with what I have in my own "backyard.
Most recently I packed up the kayak, my wife, and my Pug to head out on a little adventure, with the above quote in mind.
The destination was the Nocatee Paddle Launch. Located on the intercostal waterway in Palm Vally, it is my go to place for an easy afternoon outing.
The plan was to paddle south on the ICW to what I like to call "Picnic Island" to have just that: a picnic. As the crow flies, we had just over a 2 mile paddle ahead of us. With a strong NE wind pushing us, we made it to our destination in no time.
Our time on Picnic Island was spent in our hammock eating simply cooked chicken, sea salt and vinegar chips, and drinking peace tea and observing some feeding storks in the shallows.
Sometimes adventure can be found and supplied without the stress waiting in the Publix sub line or spending $30 of little snacks that you don't need. All you need for adventure is the willingness to get out there and find it, because this is the only way to really fight the need for more "things".
For me right now I am accepting the fact that the statement is not "when I get/have/do/find __________ then I will have peace" but instead peace can happen right now in the moment. It is just up to you to make it happen, not wait for it.
May peace be with you.
-The Brisk Young Sailor
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