Extreme Kindness

Just a random post I thought I’d add to give a little recognition to the power of movement.

My Dad and I were discussing a few years ago the frantic pace of my life. I usually work better with metaphors when processing more philosophical discussions so we began to use the metaphor of river kayaking.

We were talking about how you float along weaving and dodging big rocks and working with the currents to try and successfully navigate your way along the journey. We then started talking about the crazy times that inevitably appear and how to deal with them. I basically said you just have to hang on through the white water do your best and wait it out until you hit a mellow section of the river.

My Dad then Socratically asked, “What if it’s all white water?”

I really didn’t know what to say.

“Hmmm.”

It got me thinking that as I get older the pace of my river seems to be perpetually quickening with no real sign of slowing down. Sort of a frightening thought if you’re just hanging on and waiting till things mellow out.

I really don’t want to go through my life freaked out about where I am. I want to be able to look around, engage my surroundings and think about something other than my own survival. From that space the journey becomes not just about me, it begins to include context I exist within. Suddenly I’m empowered to consider the rest of the world, and that is the genesis of kindness.
It seems like there is a lot of power in those rapids and if you choose to enter them armed with a strategy and a light heart you may just be in for the adventure of a lifetime.

That was my mini epiphany. I get to choose how I approach the hairy sections of my life. It seems simple but when you get it, you really get it.

The rapids of life are powerful, unpredictable and usually inevitable. You are the only one with a paddle and there are no foreseeable flat sections in the river. Do you enjoy the trip or not? Were all going to get to the end eventually, why not jump in and challenge your perspective.

For me, approaching yet another hairy section of rapids I am poised for the greatest adventure of my life and really, honestly, am feeling pretty stoked. I’ve got my paddle clenched in hand and a grin peeled across my face.

Take a deep breath and enjoy the adventure.

Here we go….

(this is me… metaphorically)

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