Sorry, missed a day on my own challenge, because I went on a bit of an adventure, and it became a bit more of an adventure than anticipated... 😃. So, I thought it fitting to go for the love for adventure today.
So, I drove with the family from Valencia to Switzerland to try out a new job that looked like it fits perfectly into my mission, and, things got a bit interesting... But we got there, safe and sound, after I drove through the night for 25 hours because the camp ground we booked as stop in between turned out to be closed, I started the job the next day, and... ran out of gas... as in heating.... in Switzerland... in winter. And of course, every single country just must have different norms and connectors....
Anyway, we do have heating again, now I just have to deal with walking through a room with several large dogs every day, all about as big as a small cow, one of which was traumatized by an owner and now plays the guard dog every time a new person joins. It's one of the side effects of "old school" dog education which is basically based on bullying and cruel punishments to subdue the dog, and the horrible thing is that, until these dogs are rehabilitated and been loved on so much that they turn good again - which takes time - you basically have to dominate that dog just not to be ripped apart, in a sense adding to the trauma. I'd just love to take a day and just make friends with that dog, but that doesn't seem to be an option right now, as I'm supposed to do other things. I'm not usually afraid of dogs, quite the contrary, but this room makes walking on coals or skidiving look like a picnic. It's so much more intense when the emotion of a creature is involved, be it the dog or it's owner. At least when a skidive goes wrong, it's nothing personal when the ground comes at you fast. It sure adds variety to the day, though.
"Old school" is not just outdated because it's cruel to the dog. It's also totally counterproductive. Bullied animals act like bullied humans - they'll submit alright UNTIL you are down on and then they'll all gang up and rip your throat out. And that's what "old school" trainers then refer to when they explain why it's necessary to bully the dog when training him. In reality, they are the ones who created the problem in the first place. Even if worst doesn't come to worst, the very least you will never experience the happy, cheerful animal they can be. If they love you, though, they'll do anything to please you, and when they really need to listen, they will - because they hear the urgency in your voice and want to see what's wrong. You can use formal methods like clicker training, or you may use your own intuitive method, and it will even oftentimes work on "old school" trained dogs - much to the chagrin of their owners who just told you it'll never work 😀. It just doesn't work on a fully traumatized dog, then you'll need much more time, effort, and caution, just as with a human with PTSD.
Anyway, turns out there is a company that makes vegan dog food and vegan cat food. Very cool. Some of the dogs and cats have been on a mixed vegan/normal food diet for quite a while, and they look perfectly healthy and happy. And it's a lovely place, you need a very big heart to open your house to this many animals in need.
So what is an adventure? It can be a skidive, a scuba dive, a relationship, moving, a new challenge, a trip, a vacation, a new job - pretty much anything that scares you, and you do it anyway. It's just about finding that little switch inside of you that turns fear, anxiety, and the anticipation of trauma, into thrill, excitement, and the anticipation of fun, progress, contribution, or simple something new. It is amazing how close these two feeling are to each other, they basically have the same physical manifestation, the difference is only in the mind. I only realized that fully while watching one of Tony Robbins' videos right before I left - if you have the Total Breakthrough Program, it's in week 16 - well worth watching.
Anyway, we all need some adventure, because one thing I noticed when people don't have adventures anymore because they are safe - all they seem to do is talk about sickness and problems, because if you don't get your adventures in a positive way, then you still seek them - but if they find you, they tend to be negative, or people simply focus on the negative.
Adventures are risky, but so is not seeking them, and at least if you seek them, you have a chance to grow and contribute more, or to simply have fun! It's no guarantee, but it's a chance.