Discovering New Oceans

Some people follow the same routine day in and day out, week after week, month after month, year after year. While they may be content with this as a way of life, there are those of us who would quickly stagnate in such an existence and subsequently long for more. Beyond the end of our driveway is a myriad of places to go, people to see, and things to do. But it is not until we take that first step outside the confines of our comfort zone that we truly begin to live life rather than merely exist.

Sometimes the decision to try new and different things is one that results from necessity. After working under the structure of organized law firms for years, I began to feel like a small cog in the big corporate wheel. The need to broaden my horizons led me to accept a position with a newly-formed firm which promised that both it and I would flourish. That, however, did not prove to be the case. I found myself unemployed and panic-stricken, but telephone calls to contacts I had made in the biz quickly resulted in another avenue to explore. Freelance legal secretarial work gave way to performing paralegal work on an independent contract basis. I have found it to be not only a significant advancement in my career, but a personal growing experience as well. By working with various firms, I have been able to gain valuable training in many areas of the law with which I would not otherwise have become familiar. At the same time, I am able to offer assistance through the knowledge and skills I have acquired as a result of my endeavor and make a meaningful contribution wherever I go.

As is frequently the case, I often have too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. At the beginning of the year I had grand plans to exercise more. Carving out a piece of my daily schedule for simple exercise has proven to be futile. It seems that the only time where it can consistently be included is in the morning. I will be the first in a long of people who will readily attest to the fact I do not bound out of bed with enthusiasm at the crack of dawn. But upon weighing the benefits of desire against what I consider to be inconvenience (and the fact that I am thoroughly disgusted with my ballooning midsection), I am once again vowing to expand my morning schedule and making a half-hour walk the first thing on my agenda each day. I hope to discover another valuable benefit when it becomes routine. In that 30-minute period I am alone with my thoughts. I can reflect upon what has previously happened or can plot out a course of action for what is yet to come. While taking care of myself physically, I will also be taking care of myself mentally.

Years from now, how many of us will do nothing more than wonder about all the things we never tried? What may not seem exciting or worthwhile at the time can prove to be just that if we merely give it a chance. I was reminded of this very thing when recently flipping through my scrapbooks. Mark earned a degree in archaeology and, although not currently employed in that capacity, has managed to keep his dream alive through volunteer work over the years. Until I had an opportunity to participate in a dig at a local site, I had simply looked at archaeologists as over-grown boys playing in the dirt. Out in the field, however, I stood in awe as I sifted through soil that human hands had not touched in over 2,000 years. I uncovered artifacts which gave clues to former civilizations and provided understanding as to the establishment and organization of our very communities. While I initially did this only to appease Mark, I found I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and discovered a new-found respect for archaeologists and a fascination for their work.

Whether the decision to expand one’s comfort zone is based upon necessity, convenience or curiosity, when doing so the daydream of eluding mundane existence is transformed into exhilarating reality. The end of the driveway gives way to a long road upon which a journey of enlightenment can begin. All we really need to do is take the first step. As French novelist Andre Gide so profoundly noted, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”