Written 1-11-17
Fear is something we experience all the time for the silliest reasons. The list of phobias is too long to imagine. Fear is meant to protect us, it’s the body’s way of keeping us from playing with tigers, jumping off cliffs, or some other stupid thing, but the root of it is based in realizing man’s inferiority. We can’t play with tigers because they would maul us. The ground is harder than we are so we would be flattened by a fall. We are taught to fear strangers as children because they are superior to us and could take advantage of our novelty. But when it comes to zip lining, or the dark, or new foods, our fears are rooted in uncertainty, not inferiority. We don’t know what fresh papaya or yucca will taste like. We don’t know what is down the dark road as we search for a sunrise, but we shouldn’t take these fears to heart. These fears should remain in our brain, where we can realize the need to be cautious, but we can’t let this uncertainty take an all encompassing grasp our life.
Live a full life. Live a life of Pura Vida. Free from fear. A pure life that you can look back on and with which you can be happy. So wake up early, search for the sunrise. Eat new foods. Open up to fellow travelers. Trust people. Learn about cultures. Remain engaged. Find what drives you and do it.
As I jump from the zip line tower today, you know I will be cautious and double check my harness, but if you think I’m going to close my eyes and not enjoy the view (or look back up to check my clamp once I’m flying), you’re wrong.
Live a pure life, a full life, a blessed life, and a life without sour thoughts. Instead of thinking about how pretty the sunrise would be if that darn beautiful mountain wasn’t in the way, or if the clouds weren’t here (in the beautiful CLOUD Forest), just look at the mountains. Realize how steep they are and all the beauty between them. Instead of being salty about the fact we came here the week a cold front blew in and brought with it the ultra strong winds and a “cold” mist (by Costa Rica standards, that is), look at how pretty the mist looks against the tops of the trees. When your plane is delayed, instead play loud, obnoxious cards in the airport. When you can’t harvest beans outside in the field, harvest relationships inside. Life is a journey and you can either complain about the hike, or you can enjoy the view. Take in the smells and think about how great you have it. Even when you aren’t in Costa Rica, life is worth enjoying.
Pura Vida!
The second picture is the “disappointing” sunrise, while the last two are the sunset from the previous evening.