Beyond Judgment and Perspective

Kayaking is a sport that is naturally associated with risk. In fact, for many, accessing and taking risk is a part of the sport’s appeal. To me, the opportunities and challenges associated with kayaking are far more about judgment and perspective than they are about risk. This is as true when I’m driving a car or walking in a city as it is about paddling on rivers 200 days each year.

One of the truly great people with whom I shared the river is a major contributor to my own judgment and perspective on the river and the larger society around us. John Mullen, who tragically lost his life on the river in 2005, is the subject of a touching article written by his brother, Kurt, in the latest issue of Paddler Magazine:

http://www.paddlermagazine.com/issues/2008-2/article_319.shtml

My family and I came to know John, a writer and editor for the Washington Post, when he traveled to the Ocoee River in 2002 to cover my training for the Olympic Games in Athens. John was an aspiring and enthusiastic whitewater kayaker himself at the time but while in Ducktown, he wanted to “live and learn” my daily pursuits as an Olympic hopeful. While living in our home with us for four days, he paddled, ran, lifted weights, and mountain biked with me never missing a workout or an opportunity to engage further into the subject at hand. He just naturally “fit in” with the people with whom he wrote about and valued them, often better than they valued themselves. The great “students of life” seem to have a unique way of doing this.

John was much more than a great writer although his “Outside Line” columns every Sunday were among the best written pieces in a top-flight newspaper. His passion for living and willingness to keep asking himself, “can I do better?” became the fuel that brought him to the 2004 Whitewater Olympic Trials in South Bend, Indiana – not as a journalist covering the race but as a competitor racing in the event.

It’s been said that great writers often possess great conflict. In my opinion, here was John’s - in a world where so many are living a pursuit of “understanding” themselves and the world around them, John understood others and their world around them in a deep, personal, connective, and profound manner much better than he understood himself.

The ironic part of this is that while his path of self exploration may not have resolved all of his own questions, his process of getting there brought purposeful clarity to many others in his circle. And coming up on three years since losing John, not only is the spirit of John’s pursuits alive and well, I believe his circle of influence upon others is growing and stronger than ever.

Thank you, Kurt, for the great article and reminding us of the good for which John stood – John would be proud.

Where do you make your "tough decisions?"

The daily mountain bike ride or paddle on the river is a routine part of my life. Sure, it's good, healthy, and a little out-of-the ordinary exercise but there's more in it for me than that. It's become the glue that holds my life together. I count on this time in the outdoors to help me evaluate how I take risk, build trust in relationships, be comfortable in my own skin, and evolve my perspective on the world. It's a place to form innovative ideas and make the tough decisions that need to be made in life.

Which got me thinking, where are people when they are dwelling on life's critical decisions? I fear that for many, such places too often include the "parade of taillights," the slow procession of red lights each morning or evening winding down a road four lanes wide and as far into the distance as the eye can see. While this environment may be helpful in deciding what you don't want and where you don't want to be, it is pretty limiting in deciding what you do want in life and where you really want to go.

So what's one to do? While mountain biking and kayaking may not be directly out your door, the "outdoor lifestyle" is. People are increasing using parks, lakes, trails, and paths for their daily "Time-Out"and increasingly letting such amenities contribute to living well. And even better, people are creating their own personal or shared outdoor space - a deck, patio, or garden.

On a recent trip to Dallas/Fort Worth, I was visiting a kayaking friend in his busy surburban neighborhood. Living outside of a town of about 300 people myself, I'm always a little overwhelmed at first by the volume and density of metro areas like Dallas/Fort Worth. But once at my friend's house, we stepped out on to his patio and were instantly "removed." This friend has embraced and incorporated such space and the outdoors in general into the lifestyle that he and his family enjoy. Moreover, it played a critical part in deciding to move forward with his dream of bringing whitewater park to the Dallas/Fort Worth area in hopes that many more people might derive similar benefits for themselves, their families and friends.

In the simplest form, that is what "Gold Medal Living" is all about. Thoughtfully and purposefully using the outdoors to progress your best lifestyle and positively influence your relationships with others.

Look for more thoughts, ideas, and life lesson from the outdoors right here on the "Gold Medal Living" blog.