Love Life
Often, after a glorious African sunrise and a simple camp breakfast, I lean back, take a deep breath, and tell Margrit… “I Love Our Life!!!”
I hope you can say the same. Life’s 2 short not to, especially in front of a Land Rover. ;-})
Today, before I took my deep breath, some clanking pots caught my attention. There stood a handsome couple with a rented 4×4 kitted for a 3-week overlanding adventure through the African Bush.
Surely this is one of their major bucket list items. You know, things they really really want to do before they kick the bucket to the next life.
Then for some reason I start to wonder about the rest of their lives.
They seem prosperous enough. But how strong has the consumer culture washed over them? Trapping them to work to pay the bills for things the world expects of them.
Surely, they would say they enjoy their work but their countenance seems a bit bland, especially for being in Africa.
I just hope they’re doing something they truly want to do with their lives, rather than following clever marketers convincing them of what they should do and want to possess.
Then it hits me.
How many people work their tails off 40 to 80 hours a week to provide stuff and adventures that the consumer world says is happiness.
It doesn’t matter how much you make either. In the impoverished Philippines the billboards are all about colorful boxer shorts, hair dye and of course cheap cell phones.
And it is no different for those with tons of money. Bang, they’re prosperous with bigger toys and bigger bills but still just living for the weekends and slowly checking off bucket lists items.
I get the feeling many Life Buckets are full of hope and “work” with a few bucket list items scattered at the bottom.
Our Life Buckets need to be as full as possible all the time. With what? Inspiring work, stretching life experiences, challenges that make us grow, people we love to be with. All of which we are passionate about or at least of our choosing.
Just curious, on a scale of 1 to 10, how full is your Real-Life Bucket? Overflowing or are you on the other extreme living to make payments and maybe enjoying the weekends accomplishing a few bucket list items along the way.
No Bucket List Here
Now, I’m no poster boy for a happy life. However, at age 40 I was forced to dump the corporate life, choose to do what I believed in, and drop the expectations of the world. Guess what? My Happy Full Life Bucket began filling fast.
Oh, what a full Life Bucket it is; real time together, enjoying our chosen small businesses, 5 years volunteering in the Philippines, 4 years helping people recover from storm damage, creating our own nonprofit to help people save African wildlife, the beauty of travel, the nature, the wildlife, the dedicated wildlife people, the smile on Margrit’s face and the peace and joy of every day knowing we make a difference in our own small way, .
Life is good, the Life Bucket is brimming! Thus, “I love our life!!!” even while living in a roof top tent.
Now, I don’t propose you sell all and start a nonprofit adventure in a Land Rover traveling Africa. But please please pay off your debts ASAP and find your happiness in new adventures. Yes, the ones you have always dreamed of. It is not only possible but very doable.
Enjoy the day and do some good!
Russ & Margrit Harris
Russ Harris loves all things technical and making the world a better place, especially for Margrit.
As long as you continue to have each other continue doing and viewing life as you do with the amazing fitness levels you still have 70 will pass just as any previous number . Africa is the only place I know where 80 year olds still run up and down flights of stairs like a 40 year old . My friend and her husband are well into their 80’s and still plays tennis twice a week , power walks and swims in the salt water swimming pool every morning while her husband takes to the sea on Durbans main beach , I miss those regular mornings and then breakfast we had before work . While ever your living a loving and happy fulfilled life age is just a number . ONLY IN AFRICA
Thank you Lynn. So true. Africa is a magical continent.