The more we age as a community
The more we organically explore, experiment, and express
Amongst ourselves one big idea:
Happiness
What it is and what it isn’t.
How it feels, how it comes, & how it goes.
Where it hides when times are hard and how to find it when life gets even harder.
Together as soakers, we’re peeling back the delusions
The myths and distractions of modern life that far too often get in the way of true joy.
One such myth was put to rest deep in the waters yesterday by long time guest & fellow soaker Jared Potter
The lie is this:
That Happiness depends on outside circumstances.
That money, youth, stuff, status, power, prestige, or even physical ability...
will be your path to personal freedom.
In its place, a powerful reminder that in each and every moment
Each and everyone of us have a choice.
Not about what we frantically cling to but what we gracefully choose to let go.
An avid adventurer, hiker, camper, and soaker.
Jared enthusiastically inspired others to get outdoors and try new things.
But nowhere on his list of new adventures was a life altering paradigm change involving the loss of half his body.
While his road to recovery is just getting started and the destination will look nothing like he ever imagined, something he said deserves to be preached today, and every day.
“Well, I feel like my life experience has prepared me to take on this new chapter.”
Consider that.
Jared’s life experience before this accident could have been many of ours.
With challenges, sure, but what’s prepared him probably isn’t a specific experience.
Rather, a life of choosing to adapt, flex, detach, and optimistically roll with hurdles large and small each and every day.
Are we choosing to be easeful with the small hiccups?
Flexible with our own aging?
Patient with our own failures?
When happiness is untethered to the way things are
and
instead anchored to the way WE ARE, our joy becomes resilient.
This wasn’t an easy cold plunge, but thats the point.
Life isn’t easy is it.
So let’s all follow Jared’s lead and stop pretending it’s supposed to be.
Let’s choose to take it in waves.