Making Incredibly Vague Plans
And contemplating fearlessness
This weekend I was fortunate enough to see Cirque Du Soleil in Toronto for the second time.
Seeing the acrobatic theatre troupe seems to serve as a great reminder of the importance of practice and rehearsal.
By perfecting their moves off-site, these experts in body mechanics have nailed the motion so well that it can be delivered 3 times a day for many weeks at a time.
Watch how effortlessly these acrobats will fall backwards onto a trampoline, and then gracefully reappear at the top of the climbing wall.
Imagine being able to live your life with this degree of no fucks given?
What makes Cirque even more spectacular to meditate on is the idea that they do it as a team, working in perfect sync. The dancers, the technicians, the live band.
To work any other way and expect a passing grade by inspectors is called a fluke.
This outing makes me think of the idea of fearlessness.
Sometimes I have to ask myself: What does being fearless truly look like?
You can talk about being fearless all you want, but in practical terms, this describes a big thing, the feeling of tightness in your chest or a lump in your throat that you need to confront in the next 72 hours.
And you might be better off confronting it on Monday rather than Thursday.
Sunday is a great day to contemplate this before the week begins so you can go in there and start to take meaningful action sooner than later.
Don’t let the sunny weather distract you from the real work that needs to get done.
FYI you can go outside 365 days a year, and the fall is by far the most breathtaking season in central Canada.
So if you happen to miss a few sunny days because you were focusing your mind on achieving a particular goal or outcome, then it really won’t matter that much in the end.
Year 2017: Mitzpeh Ramon, Israel
I am staying at an eco-hostel for backpackers in the desert.
In the psychological background behind me, the situation is fairly stable in the region and Trump Season 1 was airing.
The first fresh morning I awake, and am moving slowly in my shared accommodations.
The host asks me what I’m still doing in the house.
“Everyone goes hiking in the daytime. It’s mandatory. We need everyone out so we can clean the sand out of here top to bottom.”
I am sent off with 4 litres (1 gallon) of water based on the distance of the hike that I have selected.
Because if you get dehydrated and you pass out, the sun will cook you and then I guess a vulture comes for you next?
The hike ended up not being that intense overall, but it left me with an inspired glow.
I thought about the wisdom of the scorpion - how inside of its DNA, it knows not to bother wasting its venom on a human.
Yet to hike here as a traveller without a Jeep, you must hitchhike to get home.
I remember it took a few rejections, and then finally two old ladies picked up a nicely roasted almond that I had become.
You can’t get something without putting something in.
Even if it’s as simple as sticking your thumb out to ask for a ride back to civilization.
This is the fearlessness that we need to learn how to somersault an adult.
To take up an instrument or re-learn the one we got pretty good at as a kid.
To sit down in your studio and give yourself permission to make bad tune after bad tune until something pretty good starts to happen.
To simply humble yourself and be willing to look like a stupid idiot for Christ’s sake!
Now for every single person reading this letter, I want to plant the seed in your mind that you must go on an adventure by yourself at some point between now and the time when you perish.
Start with a hike nearby, and move upwards to a hike or an outing to a small town nearby.
If your loved ones ask, just tell them you need to go get a part for your espresso machine in ____ (insert name of nearby town).
Have a meal at the local diner and sit on a bench watching people with a cup of coffee.
Some people like to take pictures, but I like to just wander as you might have read many times in past editions.
If you need advice on backpacking, I am happy to give you ideas on how to put a trip together.
But I’m warning you, I make incredibly vague plans. And maybe you should too?
Tickets for Cirque Du Soleil OVO in Toronto are currently on sale up to 40% off for shows happening over the next few weeks.
Go grab one here, or check out if there is a show closer to your city.
Have a great week, and just say no to Everything Bagels.
Elliott