Do Something Worth Doing

No one ever told me that they didn’t believe in me, or at least that I can remember. I think a lot of great stories start with a great disappointment, the moment where you realize it’s you against the world. For FDR it was Pearl Harbor, for MLK his impossible dream, for Elle Woods it was realizing that after all she had done to get into Harvard, Warner still didn’t take her seriously. For me it was nothing so prosaic, in fact it wasn’t really a singular moment at all. 

In reality I’m so young I’m not actually sure I have even lived through the life-altering moment that most people begin their memoirs with. However I am sure that enough has happened to lead me in the direction of the type of person I want to become, an adventurer. 

In my life there has always seemed to be two paths, an easy one and a crazy one. The easy one we all know, cushioned with the approval of friends and family, it’s the logical choice, the one that will get you safely from point A to B. But the crazy one is much more feared, it’s not that people don’t want us to take this path, rather they can’t be sure what’s ahead, and so they steer you away to keep you safe. 

But in my experience safety does little for the imagination. 

I’m no one special, nothing extraordinary, and yet by consistently choosing the crazy road special, extraordinary, and spectacular things are happening. 

As of a few days ago, I was officially published in my first national publication via theconversation.tv , something that once seemed impossible to me. Believe me when I say I don’t mean to brag, only to encourage you.

Things seem impossible for many reasons. Maybe our goals are too lofty, our obstacles to great, or our determination too small. So everyday when we are given the chance to keep on as we were, or instead do something just a little bit spectacular, we often choose the mundane.

But here’s the ticket, the key to being adventurer:

In trying to live a life where you are “doing something worth doing”, the first step is always simply to do. 

My article on The Conversation.