“it may be more helpful to be gently adventurous, pushing the boundaries firmly but in small measures.”

We find ourselves with two mutually conflicting tendencies in the heart: the desire for adventure and the desire for security.

The desire for adventure is really the desire to know, to explore, to push beyond the real or imaginary limits. All of this requires going out of one’s comfort zone and can be potentially stressful and pain-bearing. What makes people go for it anyway is the tantalizing possibility of successful breakthroughs, which can be enormously fulfilling and pleasurable. All great discoveries and inventions have occurred through the spirit of adventure.

The desire for security is the desire to be safe, to avoid risks, and to accept certain limitations in return for peace of mind. We usually find security in what is familiar, be it a place, an idea, a person, or work. Some people seem to prefer the boring known to the exciting unknown. The desire for security is often connected with responsibility for dependents (one’s family, for instance)…….

……..In life we often go back and forth between these two tendencies—to be adventurous and to be safe. When certain adventures end in disasters, we pull back and become extra-cautious, preferring the security of the familiar to the thrill of the unknown. When we get bored by the endless routine of familiar chores, the mind becomes restless and we gather enough courage to try out something new … until we become disillusioned again and return to our own comfort zones. Some of us never really figure out how to handle these two tendencies. Getting the balance between the two is not always easy.

It is a helpful exercise to look within and find where we lie on the adventure/security spectrum. Rather than indulge in reckless adventures, it may be more helpful to be gently adventurous, pushing the boundaries firmly but in small measures.

June 10, 2019 by Swami Tyagananda

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