In this article, we discuss why adventure is an important part of living a memorable life and how you can reinvigorate your sense of adventure today!
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When we were young, adventure was everywhere.
The world was new. It was bright. And it was full of excitement.
Around every corner, we were confronted with a different experience from which we learned and grew. It didn’t matter if it was the first time we watched the clouds roll by or if we swam in the waves after a long day at the beach…
We experienced life as open and free.
As time passed though, something peculiar happened. Maybe it happened to you, maybe not…
But those experiences that once set us alive when we were young, no longer provided the same thrills. Instead of looking at the clouds full of wonder or experiencing the power of the ocean, everything began to fade into the background…
Those new experiences became dull. And on most days, our lives became dull as well.
Have you experienced this?
If so, how do you think it happened?
Was it just a natural consequence of time spent living? Or have we forgotten the magic ingredient that made life come alive?
The answer is a little bit of both. But mostly, it’s the missing magic ingredient…
Adventure.
What is Adventure?
The dictionary defines adventure as, “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.”
In short, adventure is the willingness to head into the unknown. Into uncharted territory.
It comes in many different forms — whether it’s traveling to a new country, starting a new job, or undertaking a new hobby.
Whatever it may be, there is a single thread that connects every adventure together: it’s a new experience.
Why You Need Adventure in Your Life
When we’re young, everything is new. Therefore, everything is an adventure.
But as we age, we become familiar with the world and fall into a routine. We go to work, we exercise, we eat, we sleep, we repeat.
This repetition is the death of the novel, the new… the adventure.
As a result, our lives can become stagnant. And it’s this stagnation that is the breeding ground for mental and physical disease.
When you no longer have anything to look forward to you may experience an increase in bouts of depression and anxiety.
But there is good news – the opposite is also true.
With an increase in novelty comes an increase in your health.
According to Psychology Today, “A sense of novelty activates the dopamine system directly. As a result, it enhances mood, positive outlook, motivation, and goal setting. A positive sense of novelty has also been shown to increase creativity in dealing with stress, lower perceived stress, and anxiety, and lessen depression — even in the time of COVID.”
If you want to live a deeper, richer, and more fulfilling life, you need to reinvigorate your sense of adventure.
How to Reinvigorate It
There is a simple way to increase your sense of adventure – try new activities. Especially in the outdoors.
This can include almost anything, but one of the best activities you can try to increase your sense of adventure is SUP.
At Atoll, we’re adventure junkies.
We like to pack our boards, throw them in the bed of our trucks, head to a far-off location (doesn’t matter if it’s the beach or a mountain lake), drop into the water, and explore.
Nothing, and we mean nothing, gives us a sense of thrill like an afternoon paddling in a foreign location.
Combine this activity with a night camping under the stars — and we’ve found paradise.
However, traveling with your SUP isn’t the only way to go on an adventure. You can also try new activities with your board.
One such way is through fishing. Grab your gear, paddle to your select spot, and drop a line in the water. You never know what you might catch.
Or you can even try a SUP yoga class to loosen up your body and challenge your balance. While you flow through yoga poses, your body and mind are both unfamiliar with the surface and surroundings of the class. This re-introduction to a novel experience and the challenge that comes along with a SUP yoga class is quite the adventure.
However, we understand that maybe SUP isn’t for everyone — but you still need to find the place or activity that can reinvigorate the sense of adventure in your life. Especially if you’re keen on living a present, exciting, and memorable life.
Whatever it might be…
Get out there and find it. But before you do, keep this one thing in mind…
Don’t Let Fear Stop You
Fear is a powerful emotion. In fact, it might be the most powerful one we feel on a daily basis. It has the ability to shut down our adventures, our thrills for life, keep us “safe”, and completely ruin our lives.
But where it really shows its face is when we try something new and novel. It’s been ingrained in us since we were children that we need to be successful at an activity right away. It doesn’t matter what it is. If we are going to try it, we automatically feel bad when we struggle. And this, in turn, makes us fear whatever is outside our comfort zones – stopping us from living an adventurous life.
Why is this bad? Because struggle is an important part of growing and learning. In fact, if you can get used to struggling, if you can embrace it, you’ll have a superpower most people don’t possess.
And your life will open up in new and exciting ways.
The question then becomes, “How do we overcome our fears and embrace struggle?”
According to major psychological publications today, the best way is through exposure therapy. It entails, “Taking the first steps with the help of a behavioral therapist, you create a plan and an environment that allows you to “expose” yourself to the very thing that scares you. By exposing yourself to a stressor over time and in a set pattern, you can minimize your feelings of anxiety and reduce how often you avoid it.”
This is a proven therapy to face fear, overcome your doubts, and ultimately reinvigorate your sense of adventure.
Ready to get out there? Before you do, you need the right tools…
The Right Adventure Tools
If SUP is the adventure vehicle of your choice, then you need the right one to get you there.
With Atoll, you have the complete package. Our boards are made with high-quality, military-grade vinyl materials that are dropped stitched for increased toughness and rigidity.
Our boards can take a beating and keep on paddling. This is especially needed when it comes to adventure travel — whether it’s in your backyard or checking your board onto an airplane for your next vacation.
With Atoll, you’ll receive the gear you need to fuel your adventures, and the customer service to make sure you’re supported even through your most rigorous travels.
Conclusion
Adventure should always be a part of your life. Whether you’re 20 years old or 90. It’s during the adventures that we feel connected, alive, and present. It’s those rare times when life seems to open up and we realize the reason for being here is just to experience everything. The problem is that it can be difficult to consistently find new ways to experience adventure. And very easy to fall into a routine. That’s why it’s important to reinvigorate your sense of adventure…
With the right tools and the right mindset, adventure, and life itself, are waiting just outside your door.
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