Common Threads: The Strings that Make Life Valuable

Do you ever dive into the past on a cold winter night and think about where you’ve been and where you’re headed? Lately, I’ve been considering something I call the “common threads.” 

Regardless of what has happened or changed over the last, say, 20 years, what are the common threads in my life and character, interests and dreams, that still hold true (or even more strongly)? It’s inevitable that interests come and go, but what has stayed steady? Nature, the outdoors, the feeling of exploration, a deep desire for travel and spiritual adventure, the feeling of sharing that enthusiasm with others, being a part of a community in some way.  

As a kid, I wanted to “save the planet.” As an adult with a little more time under my belt, I realize I want to revive humanity because the planet will survive just fine. There’s a connection with the natural world aligns us so perfectly with both our physically-being on the Earth and our spiritual search while we’re fortunate to be here. Nature shows us vulnerability and strength, hard truths and gentle hints, balance and benevolence. But we have to choose to see it that way. To treat it that way. To embrace the hardships we personally face as opportunities to grow. And to open our fixed perspectives to the obscure possibilities. 

Because you never know.... one lady carrying 40 plastic bottles back from a backpacking trip on the Olympic Coast in Washington might catch the attention of three more people who begin to do the same. And little by little, bottle by bottle, a beach gets healthier and humans widen their perspective and it lasts... and spreads. 

I remember getting back from this trip and telling someone, “all I discovered while I was on that journey was that I just want to pick up trash on the beaches.” It seemed so silly to say at the time. It felt like it had no value over a lifetime to declare something so simplistic that wouldn’t progress my career, education, or skill. 

It turns out, after almost 14 years, it was a personal value I’d discovered instead: something that has stayed with me ever since. Plus, who am I kidding? After reflecting on that journey around the country, there was so much more that impacted me for a lifetime than I was ever able to see before.  The experiences had to stew for a while.

Have you discovered any of your common threads to this point in life?