#1 In Defense of the Ordinary

Have you ever noticed how many stories end exactly where they started? Shrek returns to his swamp, the hobbits return to the shire, and Ryan Reynolds stays in his video game world (that’s from free guy, in case you haven’t seen it.) And yet, there’s an essential difference between the characters who first set the scene, and the ones that fade to black. Even when their situations appear to be exactly the same, there’s a very real change that shakes the very core of their beings. What is that change, and what is the role of adventure in a person’s life? I’m here to find out. 

All my life, I have been in love with the ordinary. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my heart’s response was always “normal.” Over the years, I have wrestled with what that truly means. I have added to, subtracted from, written and rewritten my understanding of ordinary, and I want to share some of those thoughts with you. It’s an interesting topic because I used to hate the idea of adventure. I got to the point where I would tell people not to use “the dreaded A-word” in my presence. And though I have started to correct my uptight ways, I still have that same burning question: what does it look like to lead a healthy normal life? 

I’m still transitioning out of the idea that an adventure is a necessary evil, but I’m starting to see what adventure is all about. It’s about falling in love with something living, something that takes us somewhere. It’s something that compels us to follow, or else face the endless void of monotony forever. And there’s a huge difference between rhythm and monotony. When done right, a rhythm is a beautiful thing. A rhythm can keep a man stable and grounded. But monotony will crush his very soul beyond repair. 

Here’s my thesis: we all need adventure to come back better. Shrek may have been content living alone in his swamp, but that same swamp was probably far more pleasant with his newfound friends to share it with, no matter how much he makes fun of them. I think our lives are like that sometimes. We reach a point where everything is smooth sailing, but something feels like it’s missing. Within each of us lies a rotting piece of “something” that eats away at us. Eventually, we can’t take it anymore and we have to do something about it because it’s just so uncomfortable. Then, once we’ve plucked that rotting ick out of us, we can go back to our regular, ordinary lives in such a way that we feel like we had far more than we did before. 

And that’s because we do! Though our circumstances might be the same, we have changed, and that makes a huge difference in everything we do. Sometimes our circumstances aren’t the problem. We might even get to the exact place we wanted to be, only to find out that there’s still something missing. It’s at this time that we have to look inward and fix the problems inside. And yes, sometimes this does mean you have to go on a grand adventure. But if you are like me and your heart’s only desire is to be rid of that foul “A-word,” then fear not: you’ll get to where you wanted to be. If that place is truly your heart’s desire, you will find your way back to it. But when you do, you will not only find it more satisfying than ever, but you will find yourself as the type of person who is able to enjoy it and keep it. You will find peace as abundant in the world as it is within. 

So join me now as we embark on this journey to explore the nature of adventure, and what it means to live the healthy version of an ordinary life. I’m excited to share this journey with you. I pray you will glean insights that will pivot the course of your life.

Until next time

May peace be your guide

And your reward