Plain Vanilla - No Sprinkles

Plain Vanilla - No Sprinkles

In life, the idea of free will is an amazing gift and humanizes us.  We have to embrace that gift and live this singular and amazing gift of mortal life on earth to its fullest potential.  We have to constantly choose to "go big" instead of falling into the boring ruts of life.  We get to (and have to) live our best life...each day...we get to make that choice.  

Choose to go big.

From an adventure standpoint, (and any of the others probably), life exists on a continuum.  We've always found it helpful to define the ends of the continuum for ourselves, then put a "now" and "desired" dot on the line.  This helps us take meaningful action steps closer or further away from our stated desire.  For your adventure self (as a way of life/lifestyle) you probably have poles that are "plain vanilla" on one end and "sprinkles" near the other end. Indeed for some, there are further poles (couch potato (we literally ran a medical call when I was on the firetruck more regularly that could have been summed up as "too lazy to breath" if we diagnosed people on an ambulance) to the other end with lighting yourself on fire...on purpose (wingsuit flying, anyone?).  For us, with our age/stage of life we probably artificially cap it with vanilla on one end and sprinkles on the other one...you can put your flags in the sand where ever suits you and yours.  Figure out your "no-go" ideas or the "I Won't Do That" list and put those on each end of your continuum to cap it off.

Keep in mind, as you're setting those pin flags, getting them wrong gives you trouble with expectation management.  For example, if you're outer pin flag is in the frying-bacon-naked or overland-trip-to-circumnavigate-the-world because that's what you grew up with, but then you transition to spouse/parent/worker roles, and you "only" get to go raft the local whitewater, no longer the Grand Canyon, your present grand adventure pales in comparison.  This delta between your expectation (illusion) of grandeur and reality turns what is/should be an amazing weekend "staycation" trip into something lacking.  If instead, you put your pin flag somewhere more moderate/realistic to this stage of life, that very same trip is a remarkable adventure.  The point here is, the delta between expectation and reality is often blurry and largely artificial...so set yourself up for success.  

Embrace the sunsets in life.

As an example of expectation management, I recently got a text from someone close who was sharing an "old" picture of our family that we'd shared and mentioned what an inspiration we were as a family.  The "old" picture was seven months old on a Christmas road trip to the Gulf Coast.  We're somewhere soundly between spoiled and very blessed when it comes to travel and adventure.  We try to get out the door as often as possible within the boundaries of budget and work constraints.  As an example, we'll make an eight-hour-one-way trip on a three-day weekend to various regional sites around the mid-mountain west regions, often driving late after work on Thursday and returning late on Sunday just in time to catch a few winks and scoot in for Monday morning.  

Inject everyday adventure into family and life.

We have a person close in our circle who probably landed on their daily pattern and habits of life in the neck-deep-vanilla part of the pool.  They've got their routines down pat and come hell or high water, they don't want to budge.  They're likely way more organized, and their kitchen floor is probably more spot free...but their lack of sprinkles adds up.  For example, they had a festival my wife was going to meet them at and were told, "not no how, not no way" to paraphrase Willy Wonka...it was Tuesday afternoon...laundry day.  Our family was driving probably an hour and a half down for the afternoon...their family literally lives fifteen minutes from the festival.  Those little choices...vanilla over sprinkles...add up every day until pretty soon you become....vanilla, no sprinkles.  

"Get on your bikes 
and ride." 

Don't read "holier than thou" or let comparison be the thief of your joy.  The point here is you can scale your own life toward adventure by adding the sprinkles.  It means proactively, intentionally, and routinely choosing a walk down to the local greenway instead of sitting on the couch.  Choosing to go play a "ball game" with your kids in the park instead of watching one on TV.  Going to the local high school/college/minor league game/concert/theater down the road instead of watching it on the big screen in the basement.  (I'm realizing there's an anti-couch theme in this...while I hypocritically sit on the couch writing this).  Choose to go to the farmer's market or ethnic grocery store instead and try something new instead of sticking to the plain vanilla menu.  

Be thankful for 
sprinkles...or M&Ms

However, you define sprinkles (responsibly) and strive to live a life of adventure by putting varying doses of sprinkles into your everyday life.  By responsibly we mean within your means and commitments - blowing the budget, skipping out on the family for that big elk hunt, and seeking adrenaline rushes in unhealthy places/past times are not what we're talking about.  That said, as a family, make commitments to push the comfort zones to grow the size/magnitude of your available sprinkles.  For example, from a budget perspective, sit down with your family and make a shared decision/commitment to make sacrifices (e.g. cut the cable TV) and roll those savings into a vacation "sinking fund."  You get the idea here, look at your life and figure out how you can do it bigger/faster/better based on the values you and yours hold dear.  

I'm not sure Teddy Roosevelt in his Man In The Arena would appreciate the reference to sprinkles...but I think he'd agree with the sentiment.  His cold and timid souls in my mind are very much vanilla.  Don't be vanilla.  

With you in the arena, from ours to yours...Happy Trails!

Call to Action: 

• What are three tangible, concrete action steps you can put on the calendar today to help add sprinkles to your life.  
• 1 - ___________________ 
• 2 - ___________________
• 3 - ___________________
• Do a micro-adventure in the coming month that feels like a staycation adventure.
• Schedule a macro adventure that takes you out of your comfort zone in the next six months.
• Discussion: Consider what you/your family could/would/should (level of commitment) and start/stop/sustain (action)

Further Reading, Motivation, and References:

- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HWRGKfSq3A