Self-Help, Personal Growth & Psychology

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.

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.

Never before have I seen work as a task to be shared, and not only shared, but made light on its feet with humour and pranks as if it were something wonderful and not a life sentence.

learned valuable lessons that day about staying more aware of my physical condition and my surroundings, about not taking anything for granted, and about remembering how unforgiving nature can be. When things get tough, courage is not necessarily the most important attribute. What’s important is being able to control your emotions and maintain a

In an environment like that, you have to make a mental and emotional adjustment to it. For me, that wasn’t a problem. After so many treks, I had learned to forget about my job, the bills, the car that needed servicing, how poorly the Yankees were playing, and the phone call I forgot to make. Instead, I focused on the present, on things I could

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.