Just Don't

I was thinking about ways to describe a guy having a good life. I like single-word descriptions. I started out with “Adventure.” I’m really into that right now. Fall fishing is a blast in North Florida. I got a new paddleboard which has been a cool addition to my toybox. There is nothing like pushing around through the flood tide marsh grass chasing redfish or even just sightseeing. 

As I continued to think, I realized that is not enough. One of the guys I watch on YouTube has moved from being a happily married guy that loved to fish, to a guy that lives on his own in an apartment and still loves to fish. It looks really lonely to me. Somehow the adventure loses its luster when the rest of life is falling apart.

So, I thought of two more words. “Solid” and “Synchronized.” They both seem like good guy words. Solid is a great physical term. It’s an even better term when we apply it to our character and life experience. I think every guy would want to be solid and to be thought of that way. Unmovable! Powerful! Yep, a good word. Synchronized seems pretty cool as well. When I think of that word I think of connected to other things and in tune. I mainly think of relationships. A good group of buddies. A woman at your side. Close to your kids, your parents… As much as I love the idea of this word I realize it is really hard to live it out. Thus, my YouTube fishing guy.

I scribbled these words on a pad and realized the abbreviation that had formed. I laughed out loud! The more I thought about it the more I realized that it was so true. When a guy is focused on things in that order, they often come off as an A.S.S. The problem is not so much the components as the order. When “adventure” is at the top of our list we end up being self-consumed. But, we still need adventure. We need to experience life to the fullest. In fact, if I am not feeling a sense of adventure I often wonder why I even exist. We were made for this. It could be wrestling alligators, dropping in on big waves, building a business or building a shed. Guys like a little challenge in one way or another.

But, we must get the order right. When we start out with “solid” we start from a good place. Our feet are firmly on the ground and we are ready for whatever comes our way. “Synchronized” naturally flows out of “solid.” When we are settled about who we are and what our life is about, we are in a good place to have relationships that work well. We don’t just give and don’t just take. We are synchronized with others.

When these two things are in place then we can be all about adventure. In fact, we need to have some facet of adventure in our life. Something to make us feel alive, to feel our limits. I see some guys that live for it non-stop. They have loved ones that get left in the dust as they pursue their playtime. Then I see others who don’t do anything but honey-do lists. They are so whipped that they don’t seem to have anything in their life to make them feel alive.
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So, here’s a fun little assessment. How are you doing with these three words? Solid, Synchronized, Adventure. There is a good life waiting for us. We are made for it. Let’s go get it!

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