The Adventure Begins

Like all big decisions in life. THIS is scary. 

Maybe in the grand scheme of things, not so much for anyone reading this nor for the world. But, today marks a day or a point in my life that is important to me. Why? Because of this very blog I'm starting. Because the moment I publish this. Mentally, it means that I am making the promises to myself concrete, something I can no longer go back on.

For the past 5 years, since I left high school. I have unknowingly been experimenting and playing around with this concept of growth and mental toughness that is based off of Ross Edgley's, Athlete Adventurer mindset. The moment I left high school, I had this drive, this voice within me that literally told me to get my ass up and start doing things. Instead of feeling hopeless and useless, just get up. Find something that scares me, that I can enjoy, and go where fate would bring me.

So, I began running. I began thinking about the crazy adventures I had like the 24 hour city wide photo-walks me and my friends would do. I began looking at the challenging moments I actually enjoyed going through. I began to have confidence even when I total had none to begin with. I began to grow, even when all I thought I could do was fail. I began to see hope and change when all I could see was hopelessness and self-pity. 

[Disclaimer: This isn't a story of self-improvement or self-help for you to abide by. This is my own research and non-academic experimenting. This is a series of thoughts and theories I have on why I managed to get where I am today when years ago, I thought I was utterly hopeless.]

The truth is, I don't think I have the skill, the brains nor the natural ability. What I think I do have is pure, animalistic resilience and a high drive to not give up. If you ask me what I think of mental toughness and motivation, there is a high chance you'd think I'm crazy or insane. 

And I'd have to agree with you there. Intense for a regular civilian, a bit. But functional and effective? Thus far, it has worked for me. And through this blog. I hope to document my journey, adventures and first hand experiences of applying what I feel is a mentality that I can further research on and look into in the areas of Psychology and Sports Science. 

I am my own lab rat or guinea pig. And the experiment is the Adventure Mindset!