Our oldest son struck out on his own to ‘crash’ Hawaii over Spring Break. By ‘crash’, I mean minimal planning, touring the island by moped, and sleeping under a tarp. We FaceTimed several times. He had the time of his life.
His wild excursion helped me put into perspective a new book I’m reading, called Tiny Experiments, by Anne-Laure Le Cunff *. While I’ve thought daring thoughts, I’ve not always (read: almost never) pursued the wild unknown with reckless abandon. However, her book isn’t about cliff-jumping or sky-diving, but rather, that we’re not to assume or settle on living our lives with the mindset of a linear path to achieving our goals. Life isn’t a ladder.
The ‘dare’ is to allow yourself to explore and discover by conducting Tiny Experiments. I liken her recommendation to my understanding of Benjamin Franklin. He was a printer, a postmaster, an ambassador, an author, a scientist, and a Founding Father. Franklin explored, tested, observed, tried, failed, and moved himself and the world forward. Hardly a straight path toward a pre-determined destination.
I really like the idea of letting myself leave the path to do a little sightseeing. Allowing ourselves to intentionally wander could do us some good, and who knows, our tiny experiments could lead to some significant breakthroughs.
Thanks for joining me on the journey!
Scott
* If you’re interested in getting her book, I want to mention that my reference to or recommendation of a book, product, or article is not necessarily a tacit endorsement of their beliefs, but that I believe they provide good arguments to challenge our thinking on a particular topic— and that’s a good thing. And, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.