Self-Help, Personal Growth & Psychology

Tedium is a regular part of my job. But today the graphs and calculations fall away as I inhale the scent of dirt and spruce needles. Out here, I am half scientist, half disciple. I’ve left the laboratory far behind and, with it, the need to quantify and contain. In its place, I’ve reconnected with the simple act of observation.

We need to think more about mining our own output to extract patterns that turn our raw personal data stream into predictive, actionable information.

Unlike the civilized world, wilderness invites you to sense the surrounding harmony and the utter insignificance of mankind. The

• About 99% of the time, the right time is right now.

• No one is as impressed with your possessions as you are.

• Dont ever work for someone you dont want to become.

• Cultivate 12 people who love you, because they are worth more than 12 million people who like you.

• Dont keep making the same mistakes; try to make new mistakes.

• If you stop to listen

Being in the wilderness is not just about things like self-sufficiency or situational awareness, it is also a place where you can learn grander, more meaningful lessons about life and how it should be lived. It can make you a better person.

He’s a study in contrasts, a rare person who sees little conflict in owning many identities at once.

Being too busy to give any real time to a relationship is like not watering a potato crop, I say to him, using his own language. If I explain how I feel in my own, the wires in his brain twist and knot and he just has to dash out for air.