Hello, and thanks for checking in,
People are a resilient bunch. Though we complain about the weather when it’s too hot or cold, we survive heat waves and blizzards. While we’ve grown to expect air conditioning, warm food, and soft beds, we got by for a long time sleeping on straw in primitive shelters, eating whatever we could to stay alive.
Maybe we’re spoiled now. Many of us enjoy creature comforts without a second thought. Is that a mistake? Maybe. Triathlons and other challenges became popular just as our society started getting soft. That suggests a latent need to fight for survival deep within us.
We all want to believe we could survive a week in the wilderness if lost there. The truth is most people would struggle in that situation. Our primitive abilities to hunt, fight, and live for another day were lost long ago. Only those with training or experience need apply for such a gig.
Other situations test our basic survival instinct and desire to live a life of leisure, and they often go unnoticed. I take pride in being a “bring your lunch pail to work” guy. It makes me feel like I have something in common with construction workers and others with physically demanding jobs as I sit at my desk all day. Today, I realized I’ve been bringing a soft granola bar for lunch almost every day for a year, putting it in the refrigerator with the rest of my lunch, and then eating it half-frozen.
Soft granola bars are meant to be eaten warm. It’s the only way they stay soft. It reminded me of the old joke about the dog laying on the nail. It just hadn’t bothered me enough until today to notice. Has eating those cardboard-like granola bars made me tougher or more resilient? I doubt it. It has made me wonder what else I do daily that could be handled more enjoyably.
It also shows the power of attitude. We don’t have to let things bother us; we have a choice. We don’t need to do what everyone else is doing, either. Be yourself. Be proud of who you are. Some folks are natural marathon runners, some have to work at it, and some are meant to applaud the effort and tell the story.
Pay attention to the things you do on a daily basis. Are your shoes still comfortable, or have you just gotten used to wearing uncomfortable shoes? Are you truly efficient in how you do things, or are you doing things the way you’ve always done them? Consider making changes if those changes will improve your life.
If you’re happy with your life—and I mean truly ecstatic—it’s unlikely that you need to make any changes.
Some of us are fighting for survival. We scratch and claw to find an extra hour a week to read or complete a project. If that’s you, change can be an excellent thing.
Don’t settle for cold granola bars. Life is too short.
Happy Independence Day!
Until next time,
Take care of yourself,
Rod
A Journey of Words is a free publication. If you enjoy this newsletter, please spread the word by forwarding this email or sharing it on the Substack app.
Rod’s book The Activist Book One: The Inception is available on Amazon: Amazon.com
My feet hurt😵💫