Master of Brave Adventures
Master of Brave Adventures
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”– Helen Keller
We are in the midst of a catastrophic upheaval with changes in all spheres coming at a supersonic speed. The familiar paths trodden by generations are buried under the debris of traditions and old mantras of success. People who were walking encyclopedias have been stunned by incredible new knowledge and tools. Many are left behind gaping and gasping as some adventurous non-graduates’ scale new peaks not only on Mother Earth but on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Even the sky is not the limit, but a playground and goldmine(s).
The topic of the ‘development of the adventurous spirit’ is vast, but many are stuck in routines and traditional paths because of a fear of failure or deep-rooted complexes that “it’s not for me”. The purpose of this blog is to explain it in simple terms and kindle the adventurous spirit.
Because now, the ‘slow and steady’ do not win races. It’s the brave, bright and ever alert who capitalise on opportunities and cash in on them. Crowns are no longer reserved for toppers in academies, but for the restless, curious, creative, brave and adventurous explorers. According to Google Snippets, ‘brave’ means “being willing to do something that is dangerous in some way; it means having no fear or doing something despite fear”. And ‘adventurous’ means “eager for adventure”. Both words come from the Latin for “about to happen” — an adventure always has an element of the unknown.
It is a common perception that adventure means scaling the Himalayas or crisscrossing the Sahara. Taking a cue from the above definition, cultivating the spirit of adventure starts from simple initiatives like exploring new ‘unknown’ places or venturing to study new subjects like AI , for example, or choosing a course of study or a job one loves against the opposition of near and dear ones. Or even ‘daring’ to ask questions in the classroom or in an open forum. In essence, what counts is the adventurous spirit and attitude and scaling these up intentionally. One can create one’s own “Adventuresomeness Progress Index” by taking up activities/projects/initiatives involving greater and greater risks.
The above definition of adventure means “you're willing to go where you haven't been before and do things you've never done, even if you don't know how it's going to turn out.” Columbus’ story reveals how often it turns out to be a bounty from the blue! It was an old wit “don’t accept a “Columbus Award” as you will be known as a naïve person who does not know where s/he is going and where s/he has arrived”. But, this apparently wrong route and reaching a new land in the west instead of the planned eastern destination opened up a new route to prosperity. Thus, rushing into the ‘unknown unexplored fields’ is the spirit of adventure. After over 50 years of Armstrong’s landing on the moon now there is a talk of mining and colonizing the Moon and Mars - things not done before and which are riskier and tougher.
No- Degree- And- No- Worries
What are the rules and guidelines to be successful adventurers? What are the qualifications? Honestly, none - except your own ‘instincts’ and ‘inner promptings and some lessons from the life stories of legendary, adventurist souls. Think this is exaggeration? This is what research from impeccable sources says:
(i) “No- Degree-And-No-Worries “ says the prestigious management magazine Chief Executive. It lists CEOs and the most successful business leaders who are not graduates. The list includes founders of Apple, Microsoft and Facebook.
(II) A CNBC survey reveals that 3 out of 10 billionaires don’t have a college degree.
The Secret Sauce
That’s fine, but there must be some secret sauce. Yes, the basics are ambition, adventurousness and, the most important, as revealed by Calvin Coolidge:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not - nothing is more common than unsuccessful
men with talent. Genius will not - unrewarded genius is
almost a proverb. Education will not - the world is full of
educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Everyone may not reach the pinnacle of success and be a top adventurer like Columbus or Elon Musk. But everyone should acquire the lively spirit of adventurist. As the concept of ‘leaders and followers’ is now turned into ‘leader of leaders’, everyone will be working with adventurists, as the administrative and analytical jobs are taken over by the likes of ‘Alexas and Siri, while robotized factories and shops flourish. So, the spirit of adventurism will be a basic requirement. This is evident from Tim Rayner’s masterpiece on “Philosophy for Change”. According to him, the following advertisement was placed by Ernest Shackleton in a London newspaper in August 1914. Legend has it that 5000 people responded. “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, months of darkness, constant journey, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success. If this was the scenario in 1914, the present and future adventurists will be willing to go where no one has been before (colonies on Mars) and do things which have never been done (space factories/farming). The participants in such radical adventures would need fellow-adventurists to help.
Lessons from Great Adventurists
We all remember the poem from Wordsworth:
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time
There are many adventurists who enriched human life by exploring new lands, mountains, planets and Moon and Mars, new wonder drugs, novel products and even new crops and species. We briefly describe below how these wonder making adventurists pursued their magnificent obsessions .
Christopher Columbus
Son of an ordinary weaver, Columbus was largely self-educated. He was knowledgeable in geography, astronomy and history. He got a flash of an idea to find a new western sea passage to eastern countries to promote the spice trade by reducing the time and cost of the voyages. He drafted a clear plan and lobbied with many, including kings. His sincerity and passion persuade Queen Isabela, who agreed to sponsor a journey. Columbus launched his voyage from Castile in August 1492 with three ships and made landfall on 12 October. It was not a land in the east, but one which later came to be known as America. He made four more voyages that gave tremendous boost to trade. Perhaps, the first attempt to globalizing trade.
The lesson from the life and heroic achievements of Columbus is that if one has a passionate dream, adventurous spirit, courage and firm determination, lack of formal education and finance are not the obstacles.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is among the wealthiest men in the world and the CEO pf Tesla and SpaceX, besides several other ventures. This legendary adventurist was born in South Africa and bought his computer at the age of 10, learnt programming and sold his first gaming software, BLASTER, at the age of 12 for $500!
His lively spirit of adventure led him to seek greener pastures to do big things in the world of technology and he left for Canada at 17. There he worked on a cousin’s farm and later joined a lumber mill where his job was to cut logs with a chain saw and clean boiler rooms.
Talent, coupled with an adventurous spirit and persistence, led him to emigrate at an early age. This bold move and working hard in inhospitable places, helped him to pursue the dream in the newly thriving field of technology and become a legendary billionaire!
Falguni Nayar
In a social environment with social conditioning that women were primarily homemakers, many conquered high positions in the fields traditionally considered to be men’s reserves.
Falguni Nayar is a shining example of highly successful business entrepreneur. She resigned her safe job as an investment banker. She founded the cosmetic giant Nykaa without qualifications in technology or outside support - a real adventure indeed.
With a net worth of $3.4 billion, she is one of the richest women in India and more, importantly, a super successful businesswoman.
Late Bloomers
For adventurists, age is no bar. Elon Musk started his adventures at the 10. But, there are numerous examples of people blooming late in life and scaling higher peaks after quitting a ‘safe job’ or even after retirement
Harland Sanders franchised his first Kentucky Fried Chicken at the age 0f 62 years
Sam Walton started the first Wal-Mart at the age of 44 years
Joseph Campbell sold his first soup at the age of 78 years
Charles Darwin was 50 years old when he started work on “On the Origin of Species”
Christian Dior launched the world-renowned brand at the age of 41
Adventurousness, thought to be a virtue of an outstanding few, has now become a common trait! The rapid and radical changes continuously throw up undreamt of challenges in all fields and phases of life. How farsighted was the author of the book Life the Great Adventure: A Practical Guide to the Art of Living published by Home Library Club in 1939! Now, as we face whirlwinds of radical change, let’s become the “Masters of Brave Adventures’ and enjoy the ride with its thrills and rewards.
Now Only the Adventurous Can Thrive: World Is Upside Down
Wizards of the World!
Learn to Imagine & Foresee Trends, Opportunities, Forecasts and Fire
And
Soar off Ahead of the Rest
In a conversation, a friend said that the assertion in the blog that there are no rules or guidelines to develop adventurousness ignored the "outdoor adventure training" some organizations conduct.
ReplyDeleteHe had undergone it .When asked what adventures he had undertaken after that, the answer was none, due to hectic office activities.
This is the classic case of misperception of adventure as observed in the blog ,it is equated to OUTDOOR activities like "crossing the Sahara or scaling the Himalayas". He could have learnt art, singing, or a new subject like AI.
Once again let us assert that the 'spirit of adventure' i.e. eagerness to do something new is the essence.
Is the book "Life the Great Adventure" available?
ReplyDeleteIt is a 1939 book. I had a copy read several times and referred often. Had bought it in a roadside stall; such treasures are often found there, perhaps the origin of the word 'street-smartness'.
DeleteSomeone borrowed it and did not return, now checking with all acquaintances.
'Google books' lists it but not available with leading stores; there are some other titles but the one I referred to was exceptionally pragmatic.
Elon Musk's progress from cousin's farm to billionier status should have been explained.
ReplyDeleteElon Musk undertook several ventures and is still exploring many new projects. To cover all these activities would have taken several pages; that is beyond the scope of a blog.
DeletePlease read his bio on the internet or better still read a full biography book(s).
Surely, Elon's ventures with business line of each could hove been mentioned.
ReplyDeleteLoved the blog. This has been a conundrum for me all my (short) adult life
ReplyDelete1. ‘risk it’ as any same age person would advice me
2. ‘play safe’ that’s what age old advice says, our proverbs say, teachings say
(1) comes from abundance, it is absolutely underrated how many safety nets my generation has. I think i would just add for those ‘adventurous’ souls, acknowledge the safety nets others have put for you and respect why they exist
(2) comes from life of scarcity that was alway true for nature dependent mankind of last century. They should also respect how times have changed and rather than holding back, find their comfort in being adventurous.
One moral i have learned: there is no one correct answer. Columbus found his ‘adventure’ across the sea, Graham Bell found it in calling next room. As pointed in one of the comments, adventure is keeping the experimenting spirit alive, may that be just reading a new book that intrigued you. I hope I always be adventurous/persistent to try new things.
Highly pragmatic and experiential views ."Adventure is keeping the experimenting spirit alive" is the keynote.
ReplyDelete"“No- Degree-And-No-Worries “ and "the world is full of educated derelicts" these sentences belittle education. The world has achieved the tremendous progress through education. t is suggested to delete these references .
ReplyDeleteThe sentences are from the illustrious management magazine (Chief Executive) and the quotation is from Calvin Coolidge, former President of the USA.
DeleteYou are assuming the meaning of 'educated' as degree holders whereas the full meaning of 'educated' as per a Google snippet is as follows
"What it means to be educated?
The Latin root of the word educate is “exducere”: to lead out of. The idea is that the educational process leads you out of your former self into a new self: more knowledgeable, more skilled, wiser, and more experienced."
Are all degree holders turned into 'new selves' and possess the listed qualities? Feel sure you will change your mind and not insist on deletion of the authentic quotes.
The above Latin meaning of education: "the process that leads you out of your former self into a new self" resembles a Sanskrit saying 'sa vidya ya vimuktaye' i.e. that is knowledge which sets you free " from miseries caused by ignorance or half knowledge."
ReplyDeleteThe number of adventurers is so very miniscule as compared to population that it all boils down to a game of chance or a matter luck.
ReplyDeleteAgain an unfortunate turn to fatalism! The number of adventurists is miniscule if as stated in the blog you consider events like crossing the Sahara or scaling the Himalaya as an adventure. It is defined clearly in the blog as : “you're willing to go where you haven't been before and do things you've never done, even if you don't know how it's going to turn out.”. By this measure the number of adventurists is quite large and not miniscule. It is simple .
ReplyDeletePlease do something "you have not done before" and "go where you have not gone before" and be counted.