#adventurebolt living: Do what fits you. Use your own style, be unique; you will be rewarded by having no regrets.

How do you find clothes that fit you? Well, if you're like me, you need to try them on. Life is kind of like that...you probably need to try a bunch of different things before you know what fits you.

My daughter wanted to play a lot of sports this year in school, so she picked volleyball, basketball and swimming. She learned last year she didn't like track, and this year she found out basketball involves a lot of...running. Now she knows that volleyball and swimming "fit" her the best for future sports efforts.

What about you? What things fit you the best? What are you good at, or what do you like to do? The more you try, the more you narrow down the field, and pretty soon you're finding that you're spending more and more time on the things that really matter to you.

Then, the more you are doing what you want to do, you will start to find unique ways of accomplishing things and expressing yourself. The challenge is to continue to build your confidence in expressing your unique style in the accomplishment of your passion, even if you're working hard at it.

Remember, you will have the biggest impact on that which is most important to you, and you will find your greatest reward and the least amount of regret in doing that which you have always wanted to.

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."-- Theodore Roosevelt

I've never been there; does outer space have a smell?

This was a very interesting story on the impressions of first-time astronauts on the international space station:

Fox news story from Sep 5, 2009

Cool quote from this article:

"From the [spacewalks] there really is a distinct smell of space when they come back in," Ford said from the station in a Friday night news conference. "It's like...something I haven't ever smelled before, but I'll never forget it. You know how those things stick with you."

In the past, astronauts have described the smell of space as something akin to gunpowder or ozone.

Never really thought about it; apparently space has a smell to it. Ironically, if you took off your helmet to get a big whiff, your head would probably explode.

Ah well, guess I'll just take his word for it...

Coffee and a show...#adventurebolt notes from overheard conversations in the "field office":

It's amazing what conversations are going on around you when you visit a social place like a coffee shop. I just happen to frequent my "field office," a coffee shop with a name that is the opposite of "MoonPenny's" (think about it) because: a) they're everywhere, b) I can get online very easily there and c) there's always a free sample of some sort. Oh, and a show. What kind of show, you ask?

For example, yesterday, a man who is a regular customer was visiting with another woman who was a regular customer (how do I know they're regulars? I guess that means I'm regular enough to know they're regulars, which would make...me...a regular, too...hmmm), and she was trying out her new Spanish skills with him because he is fluent in Spanish. So she would say something, and then he would correct her, and they would both laugh. (They were probably commenting on how I'm a regular and listen to other people's conversations).

Another time, I overheard two teens (girls) commenting on their studies at high school, and suddenly, one girl would look down, grab her phone, and start furiously texting someone back from a message they just received, all the while saying "Uh-huh, Uh-huh" to her friend's continuing conversation. Seriously, can we find other ways to capitalize on ADHD to ensure it spreads to more people with shorter attention spans? Hello? Hello? Are you still reading, or did I lose you already, too?

But my favorite of all is the cell phone talker. These folks are great, and you don't even need to be at a coffee shop to enjoy them; they pop up at restaurants, hotel lobbies, and basically anyplace else that it is absolutely inappropriate to talk with raised voice as if no one else is around or listening in. ("I just got your email!...Can you hear me?...Can you hear me now?...I know, can you believe it?...I told him I was not going to put up with that any longer, and he just left like it didn't matter to him at all...Hang on, I lost you...Are you there?...Really?... I thought he was a good match for you, too...) and on and on it goes.

I have actually exchanged glances with other patrons sitting nearby to these folks whose expressions were like, "Can you believe this person?" and then we would smile and shake our heads. Most people would look at these people as being rude or insensitive, but I just love it because it's...well, it's so darned entertaining. They have no idea of how they are being perceived because they get so engrossed in the conversation.

Next time you're in a coffee shop, try this out: listen to someone's conversation just long enough to get some basic details, perhaps a couple of names, and then walk up to the table and introduce yourself and say, "Gosh, it's been forever, how long has it been...since high school?" They will totally freak out...

At least when my phone rings, I have the courtesy to step outside where no one else can hear...except everyone...in the parking lot...and...on the sidewalk. But those are "parking lot and sidewalk people," it's okay out there, in fact, it's expected, so...I'm merely doing my part to maintain sidewalk and parking lot people's expectations.

So be sure to keep a sharp eye and a keen ear...adventurebolts are everywhere if you look for them!

Find wonder in all things: from the vastness of the stars to the intricacies of a spiderweb. Your child-like simplicity will be renewed.

Sometimes I just have to stop and absorb my surroundings. There are some moments that require you don't rush through; the moments that demand you focus entirely on them for what they are. My dad used to call it "drinking it in."

Recently, I was heading out to the shed in our backyard in the early morning (the sun had not yet risen), and I was struck by the clarity and immensity of the starry sky. I literally had to stop in the middle of the yard and stare. It was simply beautiful.

Another dewy morning, the sun was peeking through the leaves of a nearby tree and spotlighted a spider web that had been crafted the night before by an industrious arachnid. While I'm not particularly attracted to spiders, in the right light a spider web is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life, and the beauty of necessity.

Sometimes it's just watching the kids play on the living room floor; other times it is the shared smile of a passing traveler. All of these moments, if you allow them to, can renew your essence. Draw on these things to remind you of who you are, and why you do what you do. They are the source of power that fuels your creativity and child-like simplicity. Never allow that preciousness to drain away.

Looking for advice or direction? Ask 5 people; 1 of them will have an answer to move you closer to your goal. Some examples:

This principle, like many other things you'll find written in these (ahem) hallowed pages, seems a bit...well, ludicrous. I admit, it is a bit strange, but it really does work.

I once had a customer who had learned this principle from his father. He used it in his life to move himself closer to accomplishing goals and finding answers, and said it worked for him. I have used it in my own life with great success, although rarely have I had to "use up" all five people to find what I need.

Here's how it works: you have a challenge or goal before you. You can choose to do several things: a) nothing; b) try to do something on your own; c) find others to help you. This principle brings out the 3rd option: finding others to help you. This is not a defense of the I'm-a-victim, help-me-or-I'll-perish sort of way of asking for help and direction, but instead a bold and courteous sharing of ambition to find like-minded answers.

Let's use an example of finding a new lead for a commercial space for your office, and you're not sure where to start. Most people start "googling" stuff right away, but the principle here is that you use "live" people to a) build relationships, b) move you closer to your goal, and ultimately c) help you accomplish your goal.

Instead of using Google or the Yellow Pages or Dex or whatever tech options are currently out there, why not start talking instead to people? This is where the fun begins. Start with the basic, "Have you seen any commercial spaces available around here?" You have now engaged the experiences and travels of someone who frequents specific areas that are different than yours, and now doubled your search environment. What if someone overhears you and offers a suggestion? What if they don't know, but refer you to a friend who knows a realtor, or is looking to get out of a lease, etc.? You will have now moved closer to your goal with only one simple question!

If you've asked a couple of your close friends or work acquaintances about commercial spaces, start to talk to other random people you deal with in life. Maybe it's the service repairman who shows up at your home; maybe it's a person with whom you strike up a conversation in a grocery check-out line. The principle is that the more people you present your challenge to, the higher the probability they will have a clue (or an outright answer) to your dilemma. You will be absolutely amazed at how this principle connects you with others in ways that you may have previously never thought possible, and answers to your challenges appear from the strangest sources.

I use it at work to find out information I need in a pinch. I'll usually start with work associates whom I consider to be eligible to know the information I need, but then I will continue to broaden my outline of questioning to perimeter work associates, and then maybe even to other casual acquaintances. I typically only have to go two or three people deep to either get the info I need, or to point me in the right direction, and then the process may start over once again.

The customer who taught me this had actually asked me if I knew anyone who needed an instructor for a cruise ship seminar. Not being in the business, I couldn't help him, but he simply chalked me up as one of the five, and then positioned himself to ask the next person who came along. I believe he ultimately got his answer, as he was looking to find work in that area and soon after moved out of his home to pursue that goal.

This really does work, and I challenge you to step out of excuse-making mode long enough to become a dogged pursuer of resolution and fulfillment. What's the worst that could happen? Like me, someone could say "no," and then you simply move on to the next person; no harm, no foul.

Start to take charge of the things you think are beyond your control, and you will find, amazingly, that soon almost hand-delivered solutions and direction begin to show up to help you address your concerns. Use the five people principle to pursue adventurebolts and help make your life into more of what you think it ought to be for yourself, and for others.

Filed under: curiosity