If you had a whole month to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?
I was recently asked this question in a job interview.
The cracks of a smile started to spread across my cheeks and suddenly, I was grinning ear to ear. Kind of like this:
However, I do hope I’m a little better looking than Jim Carrey with too much face paint on.
I was smiling because I had already asked myself that question about six months ago. I thought long and hard about an answer. It actually took me a couple weeks of pondering and asking others for their opinions. Finally, I collected all my data, weighed my options, and formulated an answer.
AND THEN I ACTED ON IT.
So what did I decide to do?
Travel. It’s a relatively new passion of mine, but an extremely strong one and one that I know will never dwindle. It’s so satisfying to think about how this new-found vigor is going to take me to amazing places and show me beautiful things.
I never strongly considered traveling up until a couple years ago. My family is not much of the exploration type, and because of that, I was more of a home-body. But, thanks to Instagram and certain people in my life, my eyes were opened.
I came across people like Jay Alvarez.
If you don’t know who Jay is, let’s just say he lives the life you never thought was possible. The type of life that makes you stop, look up from your computer in your gray-walled cubicle and ask yourself, “What the hell am I doing here?” If you want to be absolutely mind-blown, I suggest watching the video clip below. It’s a sneak peak into Jay’s dream life.
After watching a video like that, I need to snap myself back to reality. I know I will probably never do something quite this spectacular. But, why not try and get as close as I can?
An ex-girlfriend and I (yes, I said ex-girlfriend; it’s a complicated scenario and worthy of another article) spontaneously booked a trip to Southeast Asia for an entire month. This is my first time trekking this far across the world and I can confidently say I have never been more excited for anything in my entire life. We are going to splash with the elephants in Thailand, explore the temples in Cambodia, and relax on the beaches in Bali. It’s going to be magical.
This ‘sabbatical,’ if you wish to call it that, is merely a façade for what I really want to experience during this month of freedom.
So what is that I really want?
I WANT TO FEEL LIKE A CHILD AGAIN
Do you remember what it was like to see life through the childhood paradigm? C’mon, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already.
It was the most blissful period of life.
Close your eyes (or stare blankly at a wall, whatever floats your boat), think back on childhood and remember what truly excited you.
For me it was Christmas.
My parents were responsible for telling me that this fat jolly man in a red suit came down the chimney and left presents under the tree. He had flying reindeer and a sleigh decorated in silver bells.
The anticipation was so incredibly strong. I’d lie there on Christmas Eve with my eyes wide open just imagining what the presents would look like under the tree. I’d listen for bells or footsteps on the roof. I’d sneak out of my room, lean over the 2nd floor banister and squint until my eyes could make out the shape of wrapped boxes through the thick darkness of the night.
Of course, I’d have the whole family up at 6:30 in the morning. I’d run downstairs and rip boxes open. Wrapping paper everywhere. It was pure joy.
To this day, I wish I had never stopped believing in Santa Claus. This fictitious man represented the single best aspect of childhood:
Imagination
As children, our imagination was extraordinary. Every single day, we’d discover something new. No matter what it was, a game at the ballpark, kick-the-can in the neighborhood, or just our plain old selves. Our imagination kicked in and all the sudden the world lit up. The most mundane events or objects seemed like magic. Holidays. Weekends. Summertime. There was always the next big event to get excited about. Something to lose sleep over.
There was a certain devotion we had as children to enjoying every second of every day. It was a passion for using our imagination to make the most of the situation. We made life as simple as possible with no effort at all. This skill was one we applied to many aspects of life, a skill that we now as adults have difficulty grasping.
As I look back at myself as a child and attempt to re-capture that simplistic lifestyle, I find that it is absolutely impossible. No matter how hard I try, it’s just never quite the same. Life has lost its luster.
Now, we have responsibilities. We have a career to strive for and a future to plan. In the midst of the chaos, we have quickly lost sight of making the little moments count. Matters that we did not even consider caring about eight years ago have quickly consumed our lives. Sooner or later, everyone has to forget about the things that gave them joy as children and start focusing on the things that really “matter.” As much as we wish we could, we cannot stay young forever. But, we can try and resurrect this outlook.
So how do I feel this feeling again?
I want to hop on a plane and head to a place I’ve never been before. I want to discover a whole new way of life and immerse myself in it. I want to struggle through saying, “How are you?” in a different language. I want to become friends with the people, wear the clothes they wear, eat the food they eat. I want to sing and dance to their music. I want to meditate. Skydive. Paint my face. Whatever it takes to experience that feeling.
You know the one.
That magically simplistic state of bliss. A sensation so separated from the world and its worries. Happiness in its purest form. I want to experience life just as I did as a child: perfectly.
What would you do?
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I love to talk with new and interesting people. If you’d be interested in chatting about the ideas mentioned above or any other ideas, shoot me an email at jlord5397@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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