Living for Adventure

I received this quote from a good friend through email on my 23rd birthday.

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.
- Jon Krakauer

This quote is inspiring and speaks volumes about the nature of people. In some ways, this quote describes the life I've lead, but more importantly, it describes the life I hope to lead. The adventure of life is the only thing that keeps us going and as soon as the adventure ends, then there doesn't seem to be much of a point to continue living.

Of course the need for adventure can be overdone. The only things that garner success (a job, a permanent home, etc) seem to contradict the idea of adventure. There is nothing blatantly adventurous about waking up and going to work everyday, coming home to your house, your bed, and the comforts you find there. That is why life should be balanced between seeking adventure and seeking stability. Sometimes I get frusterated when I hear about people who travel the world and experience new things on a daily basis. How can they do that? How can they afford that? Why can't I do that? Most of the time, I learn the reason they are able to live that lifestyle: rich parents, large inheritance, they possess the gift of being a great salesman and can live off people, things like that. I always feel better when I find out that I didn't mess up anywhere in the past, I just didn't have the same opportunity. So for the rest of us, we are forced to keep our balance; work hard, play hard.

Toastmaster