Rediscovering Drive: The Urge to Do More
Whenever I tell someone I want to do more, I am often told, "What?" You have already done so much; shouldn't you slow down a little? In my whole life, I have always done things that I could do from an office or over the phone/Zoom. I have been circling around vanlife as a way to become more adventurous and travel around North America. Still I have felt I should be doing more.
I am 64 and out of shape, overweight and lacking mobility and motivation. At this age, I have been following the adage, "Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt." This way of thinking is not correct. I learned when I hurt my back that motion is lotion. This is such a profound statement. Only people who have experienced severe -"bring you to your knees back pain" have difficulty with that statement. Usually, during such a spasm, you feel the urge to stay perfectly still and not move a muscle. However, I have learned over the years that it is true: the minute you move, you start to feel relief. I remember crawling into the physio office because I could not stand straight.
Within the last few days, I have felt like I had no ambition; yes, I own a company and am about to venture into vanlife and travel. But I didn't feel motivated to do anything. Yesterday I asked the universe - how can I get out of this slump I am in? How can I find drive and ambition again? I waited for an answer.
Last night at 10:28 pm, I received a message from my friend Anna Mclean. She told me about a man who was rowing an ocean in 2025, and he was looking for a partner. The thought of rowing an ocean was exciting to think about again. I was suddenly enthusiastic about the prospect again. Be ready by December 2025. That is in 1 year? What would I need to do? Could I or should I still vanlife? What would my plan be? I am overweight and out of shape.. can you change that in a year? I think the saying is, change it or die trying.
If I were given this opportunity, I would join Planet Fitness, which has locations all across North America. I would travel with the van and work daily to get a head start on my fitness and mobility, cardio, rowing, and weight-lifting regime. I likely would need to do the ocean survival course again, and while I am in the UK, I would do some ocean work with the boat.
Suddenly, though, I was whisked into the excitement of an adventure. There is a song in my head. Lately, when a song mysteriously pops up in my head, I find the lyrics, enter them into ChatGPT, and use the prompt: Please summarize these lyrics as if they were giving you life lessons. (just for fun)
Today, the message was: Life is a mix of reality and fantasy, and sometimes it feels like you’re caught in situations you can’t escape. But even in moments of uncertainty, it’s important to open your eyes and face the truth. Life can take unexpected turns—some that you deeply regret. When that happens, you can only acknowledge the consequences, let go of guilt, and keep moving forward.
Sometimes, you’ll feel like you’re fighting forces beyond your control, and the fear of facing yourself or others might seem overwhelming. But no matter how frightening or isolating it feels, you’re stronger than you think. You can’t let others define your worth or dictate your fate. Even when it seems like the world is against you, remember that you have the power to break free.
Ultimately, the small ups and downs don’t matter as much as how you carry on. Life is fleeting, so find the courage to move forward, embrace its unpredictability, and focus on what truly matters to you.
I am meant to row an ocean; it has been on my radar for a long time. Its highly unlikely I will be ready to row in Dec 2025. In 11ish months. However, it was exciting to think about it.
