There and Back Again.

November 8, 2021

“There and Back Again”, Part 1 😉

A wise friend once told that to be able “to play” is to be able to find adventure in every moment.

Or something cute like that.

Another one recently said, “Success will happen when motivation is pure.”

Play. Adventure. Success. Purity.

What’s the glue here?

At KORU, we spend a lot of time sitting in freezing cold water. Quite honestly, I suspect THE WHY is not all that obvious. Is it because it’s cool? Figuratively. No. Does it mean we’re tough? No. Trying to tough it out rarely helps, and being “cool” has never really made much sense. Seems overrated.

If there is a “why” which can be “elevator pitched”, it is because the desire for freedom is GOOD, and there is nothing more actually liberating than the awareness that you CAN. You CAN actually be fully engaged in whatever is going on for you, and, more importantly, you CAN flow with it.

Our capacity to not only handle, but to actually ENJOY every ingredient and flavor of this human experience is not a fantastic or a heroic or a mythical achievement, it is completely NORMAL. There is nothing extraordinary about embracing the cold, or the heat, or a test of strength and stamina… of grit and mettle… emotional intelligence or critical thinking… it is simply human.

We are meant to play, not necessarily in a childish way—often with frivolity and potential excess—but with awareness, and purpose, and a respect for rules. Play isn’t haphazard. In fact, it’s likely to yield more creativity than anything else we can call upon.

This last weekend was a testament to the steely potential of human play. Yes, we covered 110 miles in two days, enjoyed the 25 degree Pennsylvania Appalachian Autumn, and celebrated every step of the way. It required effort, but the motivation was pure, and we knew it was better to sing and to drink than to do any other god damn thing.

That is why we succeed.

Adventure is possible at every moment, if we choose it.