Marie Kondo Your Adventures
Finding Outdoor Love Language - Part I
One warm sunny day I was hiking the ridgeline of O'ahu's Koʻolau range.. Once I got to the top I could see the deep cobalt blue ocean of both sides of the island. Exhausted from the journey, I remember thinking very cynically– I could have just purchased the postcard instead of doing the hike. In contrast to that day, months later I was hiking another section of the same range on Christmas day. The weather was cold and rainy. We were hiking in the clouds; my sweatshirt was soaked through with freezing rain and the rain was sweeping up the range under the brims of our caps. The view from the top came and went with the fast moving clouds. Despite the conditions, that day is one of my most adored memories around hiking.
When I apply a Marie Kondo evaluation to these hikes I can say that the difference was the people I was with and their approach to the hike. The sunny hike was more of a competition- the group was strung out and people were left behind if they weren't the fastest. In contrast, the cold rainy day hike was a small group and we stayed together and supported each other through different challenges of this hike. It felt much more community centered and as though we were actually doing the hike together.
Joy or No Joy? Some challenges feel fulfilling once we have overcome them and others just feel like something we had to endure. Compare it to someone trying to convince a friend that going to the gym is the best thing ever. One person may hate the gym entirely and the other may say something like, "but it feels so good when you're done!" The feeling of happiness in doing something, and being done with something, are two different things entirely. Relief at the end doesn't always mean one enjoyed it. That relief could be the joy of not doing it. The relief of it being over.
Much of the fitness culture in the United States can feel a bit masochistic. Finding yourself in a perpetual boot camp without enlisting in an army. We see parts of this culture have seeped into outdoor adventures. No pain no gain, pushing yourself, or challenges making you grow. What if we chose a different narrative? Growth comes in many ways and it doesn't always have to be painful. Challenges are not necessarily bad. But challenges are not always necessary to apply to every outcome. Outdoor experiences can be full of joy!
Be Curious About Your Perceptions
Let's be curious about how we think and feel about outdoor adventures by asking ourselves a couple of questions.
Answer these questions:
What is an epic adventure to you?
Identify what you feel you should get out of your experience in the outdoors?
Is there anything about your outdoor experience that you like because others make you feel like you should?
Now let us shift our mindset and get into a space where we can reminisce on the past. There will be a word or phase below.-- regarding your past outdoor adventures, write down the very first thing that comes to mind– it could be a person, place, thing or activity.
Joy
Peace
Excitement
Ease
Fulfilling Challenge
Reset
Pride
Accomplishment
Best Location
Scene that Makes you Smile
A Great Smell
Delightful Feel/Texture
Satisfying Meal
A Positive Sound
Humans Who You Enjoy Seeing
Apparel that makes you feel safe or cozy
Laughter
Footwear the Feels Comfortable
Okay, how did that activity feel? Were you honest with yourself?
Earlier I asked you all what is an epic adventure to you. Do your answers match that epic adventure?
This is a great start to be curious about your perception. If your current perceptions of what you have to do in the outdoors matches what brings you joy in the outdoors then you are on the right track. If your epic adventures description or your must do's in the outdoors don't really match many of the words and phrases above then it might be time to make a shift in your outdoor experiences. You can also add words and phrases that have a lot of value to you and see how that compares to your epic adventure. Joy is yours in the outdoors. All you have to do is recognize it.
Marie Kondo-ing your perceptions of the outdoors is the first step. Keep an eye out Part II of Finding Your Outdoor Love Language to discover what type of Outdoor Love Language resonates with you.
