Derring-Do

Recently I’ve been wondering whether anything’s missing in life. There’s no doubt that I’ve been blessed beyond measure and I proclaim exuberantly, “I love my life!” at least a half dozen times a week. Every once in a while however, it feels a little too safe and comfortable. When I was young, I was always up for a bit of “derring-do” but not so much lately. Did my adventurous, bold, daring nature dry up, like my paper thin skin and creaky joints or is something else going on?

daring /dâr′ĭng/
adjective

    Willing to take or seek out risks; bold and venturesome. synonym: adventurous.
    Similar: adventurous Involving great risk or danger.
    Bold; fearless; adventurous.

When I consider the dreams and desires I had as a boy, comfort and safety were never part of it. Warrior, mountain climber, fisherman, surveyor and secret agent man are what I imagined; I wanted to live a life of daring adventure. I reckon every youngster has similar dreams and desires, until they’re abandoned to the pressure of society – Be a nice guy. Grow up. There’s no room in life to be daring, passionate, alive, and free!

Society mutes the volume of “derring-do.” Fear of disapproval or conflict suppresses individual initiative and risk-taking. Peer pressure discourages individuals from taking daring actions. Collective decision-making tends to be risk-averse. In groups, there are opinions, preferences, and risk tolerances to be considered, which leads folks to choose the “safe and effective” route, rather than the daring and risky path. Will comfort and safety be the next big epidemic?

“I believe the most important thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.” ~ Maya Angelou

Ten thousand years ago, bold exploration and adventure were commonplace. Humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers, constantly venturing into new territories and adapting to new environments. They created spears, knives, archery tools and innovative hunting techniques that kept evolution on the fast track for thousands of years. In fact, within a couple millenniums there was extensive global exploration, driven by the collective daring of both Asian and European societies.

Perilous journeys across uncharted waters, lead to the discovery of new lands, cultures, and trade routes. History has a lot to teach us about “derring-do.” It seems that such great adventure might only be found in history books as the youngsters of today seem to spend most of their “derring-do” on virtual adventures, from the comfort of the couch. Digital gaming’s like an adventure without consequences. When you take a risk and die in the virtual world, you just hit the reset button and start over. A safe and comfortable way to have an adventure, I suppose. But how satisfying is that?

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” ~ Helen Keller

And the downside of the safe and comfortable path is that it doesn’t lead to your destiny. Everyone has a purpose; each one of us was created with our own, personal and perfect destiny. Your mission in the Great Wide World is to overcome FEAR with COURAGE and LOVE. Take the risk. What’s the worst that can happen? Yes it might be a little uncomfortable as you tug and stretch your comfort zone but the outcome is a magical, daring adventure – LIFE.

Never Stop Exploring!