When I was just 20 years old I remember asking myself, is this it? Is this all that life will be? I had come down from the excitement of graduating University early, my school days were over and I found myself in a job, my first rental property and deep within the daily grind.
My routine was insane, I lived a military lifestyle. I set rules by which I would work to achieve a balance between a social life and my career. I had rules by which I would and wouldn't spend money. All of these were self imposed, but I was trying to be what I thought I should be. A responsible adult.
This lasted for a number of years. I was making gains on my savings goals, progressing in my career and generally on target...but what exactly I was aiming for aside from home ownership and some kind of cash buffer for a rainy day. I really didn't question exactly what I was doing.
I wasn't a typical 20 something, I wasn't out partying or going crazy. I was focussed and short sighted.
This dramatically changed when my dear friend was involved in a car crash and in turn lost her life. She was not doing anything reckless, she simply went around a bend and lost control. Speed was not a factor, nor drugs, nor alcohol. The car just slid.
It could have happened to me or you, or anybody.
It took me a while to comprehend her passing. But, I remember one of the last conversations we had, we were discussing our dreams and what we wanted to do. She had so many wonderful plans ahead of her they were all ripped away in a brief second. Yet I took hope as the difference between her and I, is she really knew how to have fun. She was the life of the party, always adventuring and exploring. She had the craziest stories. But, she was also focussed and balanced in her job and her life.
I didn't have that balance, I just lived in the mundane.
After that, I made some pretty life changing decisions, when you come face to face with death and lose. You realise the importance of time.
I immediately scrapped all my self imposed rules and decided to look for adventure. It saw me travel and work my way around the world, it saw me have multiple jobs and experiences that I could have never imagined.
I am now more settled in my life, but what I learnt was - we make our reality. Life if you look at it, can be mundane. But it doesn't have to be and it shouldn't be.
There is always an adventure to be had even if it's close to home and we should all be seeking them as often as we can. They are the moments that make life special.
My friends passing taught me this. Taught me life is what you make it and never to take it for granted. One thing is for sure, life can be anything but mundane.