This past week as I have been meditating on an affirmation that I would like to manifest in this world, the word adventurous kept popping up wanting to be included in the affirmation statement.  I was not sure I wanted it included in this manifestation.  I could feel a sense of excitement arising in my heart when the word was included.  Yet I could also feel a sense of trepidation there just below the surface.

I shared these meditation experiences with a friend who suggested I look the word up in the dictionary.  Sometimes the dictionary definition highlights something that we really need to know, shifting how we feel and experience the word.

I took her suggestion and looked it up.

The Webster Dictionary defines adventurous like this:

1 a : disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown an adventurous explorer
b : innovative an adventurous artistic style
2 : characterized by unknown dangers and risks an adventurous journey

Other definitions from various dictionary webpages included:

• Someone who is willing to take chances or risks, or to try out new methods, ideas or experiences.
• Disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown. 
• Characterized by boldness. 
• Inclined to undertake new and daring enterprises.
• Full of excitement
• Adventure, because adventurous uses adventure in its definition:  an exciting or remarkable experience usually involving danger and unknown risks.

My inner definition of adventurous feels like excitement, willingness to take risks, to try new unknown things. 

Danger: It’s affect

So, it was intriguing to me that many of the definitions included the word danger.  My heart pushed back at that word.  “Danger is not the key to adventure and being adventurous.  Rather, being willing to take a risk and try something new and unknown is.”

So I sat with this word danger.  For me, danger should not stop me from engaging in adventure.  Adventure leads to remarkable life changing, awe-inspiring experiences.  If I allowed danger to stop me, how would I walk the path of the new and unknown?  What would I be giving up by staying safe?

Trust: It’s freedom in adventuring

For me a key in adventure is Trust.  I trust that Spirit is going to guide me on this new unknown path, protecting me from harm.  Maybe not from danger, but definitely from harm.  Confronting danger head on can teach me a great deal about who I am and how I am in the world.  I believe that Spirit protects me, as She allows me the opportunity to learn deeply about myself.

Danger as a word brings up a whole bunch of other secondary emotions and thoughts.  Caution arises.  Be careful.  Stop and run away.  Stay safe.  All these responses to danger keep us small, in our place, unable to grow and move forward. 

Now I do realize that some danger does warrant running away and staying safe.  This morning I am contemplating danger in a different viewpoint — danger as a way for our ego and shadow-side to keep us small, to prevent our growth.

Caution squashes adventure, especially in life and growth.  Caution invites us to hold back a little, to engage in the experience with a tentative way.   It wraps our heart in a thin film-like energy that prevents us from being fully open to the transformative moments that adventure can bring.  We keep a distance, a safe space between us and the experience.  Caution creates within us a desire to protect ourselves, even when it is not necessary or inhibiting to our growth.

Why be adventurous?

We need to try new things with an open heart; be willing to be transformed or wowed by the experience we are engaging in.  That’s the point of being adventurous.  Stepping out of our comfort zone, we come in contact with new experiences, new perspectives, new ideas, new connections/friends/people that will make our lives fuller.

If we are not willing to engage in life with an adventurous spirit, we miss the opportunity to grow.  For it is our willingness to walk toward the unknown with an open heart, believing that the unknown will bring amazing things into our life (joy, hope, love, balance, justice, healing) that brings growth, that makes life worth living.

We can not grow without risks.  To truly be open to what the risks have to offer, we must engage our work, our lives with an adventurous spirit.

So, I am going to add the word adventurous to my affirmation statement, trusting that the manifestation I am seeking will enhance my life.

What will you do?