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 on 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 we live in a time when 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 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 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 with simple initiatives like exploring new ‘unknown’ places or venturing to study new subjects like AI, 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 “Adventurousness 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’ because you will be seen 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 talk of mining and colonising 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 an 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 highly 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 must aim to acquire the lively spirit of an adventurist. The concept of ‘leaders and followers’ is now turned into ‘leader of leaders’ and everyone will be working with adventurists, as administrative and analytical jobs are taken over by the AI agents, while robotised factories flourish.

 

In such an unfolding scenario, the spirit of adventurism will be a basic but essential requirement. This is evident from Tim Rayner’s masterpiece on the “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 the 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 voyages. He drafted a clear plan and lobbied with many, including kings. His sincerity and passion persuaded 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 a tremendous boost to trade. Perhaps the first attempt at globalising trade. 

 

The lesson from the life and heroic achievements of Columbus is that if one has a passionate dream, an adventurous spirit, courage and a firm determination, the lack of formal education and finance are not obstacles. 

 

Elon Musk 

Elon Musk is among the wealthiest men in the world and the CEO of  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 his dream in the newly thriving field of technology and become the world’s first dollar trillionaire!

 

Falguni Nayar

In a social environment that women were primarily homemakers, many women conquered high positions in fields traditionally considered to be men’s reserves.

 

Falguni Nayar is a shining example of a highly successful business entrepreneur. She resigned her safe job as an investment banker and founded the cosmetics giant, Nykaa,  without qualifications in technology or outside support - a real adventure indeed.

With a net worth of $4.4 billion, she is one of the richest women in India and among the richest self-made female entrepreneurs in the country.

 

Late Bloomers

For adventurists, age is no bar.  Elon Musk started his adventures at the age of 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 of 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! Today, as we face whirlwinds of radical change, let’s become the “Masters of Brave Adventures’ and enjoy the ride with its thrills and rewards. 

 

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 [Note: Reposting our blog with an update given the miraculous AI developments that have led to an unprecedented pace of change and made the need for adventurism even greater.]