It will take a lot of writing to fully express what it means to live a life of small adventures, but basically it's a life that embraces tiny discoveries that are sprinkled throughout the day.
A life of small adventures is a life of active exploration fueled by curiosity, discovery, and learning. The beauty of a life of small adventures is how it leads finding what's personally meaningful.
Trying out new things, deciding what to hold on to, and what to let go, is the map. What you discover is the adventure. The fun is in the search.
And often what's discovered are unexpected parts of yourself. Parts of who you were. Who you are. And the most thrilling--who you can be.
I know this sounds a bit idealistic. I believe that most people feel like their daily lives are just the same old same old. But I also believe that we have a choice. We can choose to let life run through the script, or we can choose to look under the surface every day.
And living a life of small adventures isn't that hard. It doesn't require going across the world or trekking into the mountains. All that's needed is:
Curiosity
Curiosity is the #1 ingredient for a life of small adventures.
Having curiosity involves being aware of what catches your interest, no matter what it is. It involves asking "Why? Who? What? When? Where? How?"
Think of scientists who study natural phenomena. Why do rainbows occur? Why do stars twinkle? Why do I love this brand of coffee so much?
The Spirit of Discovery & Inspiration
Curiosity is the act of being intensely interested. Discovery and inspiration involves taking action based on that interest.
Dig into books, the internet, and the brains of people you know until you find what you may want to add to your life.
Experimentation
Take the answers you find and put them to work in the real world. Just try it!
Sometimes potential answers come from an external source. Sometimes they come from an inner hunch. Regardless, just try applying what you discover. Does it work? Does it not work?
Intuition
In a life of small adventures, intuition is like a sign pointing to where to dig and which caves to explore. The hunches can tell you where the most interesting stuff might be. Intuition can show itself as an unexpected pull or attraction towards an object or idea. Often whatever you are attracted to comes to mind over and over again. Follow that hunch.
Finding Uniqueness in the Everyday
What small details in your daily life do you find interesting? Is it the clothes you wear? What you eat? What you read?
I enjoy looking for obscure places in the area I live or on the Internet. And not just any random obscure place--obscure places that I find interesting.
Adventure is all about the act of discovery and experimenting with the unknown. Small adventures are about everyday acts of discovery.
And small steps often lead to bigger ones...
"To live will be an awfully big adventure."
J.M. Barry, Peter Pan
Want to see the first draft of this post? Check out my notebook of Random Musings.