Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow
The Turning Feral Daily Journal - Day 14
Day 14: Though I do believe in predestination, I also believe that we must put out extreme effort toward things that bring us creative satisfaction. Want to learn to do taxidermy? Great, find a mentor or hop on youtube. Want to learn how to build a complicated AI model? Time to go back to school and get the computer science fundamentals locked down. Want to learn how to start a fire in the backcountry? Head to a wilderness school or start striking that flint!
You get the idea…
The point is, you have to make a conscious effort to navigate your personal ship toward whatever destination you want to go toward. You also have to accept the fact that you may wash up on the shores of a small atoll you couldn’t see along the way…
That atoll may be a better paradise than where you were originally trying to go, or it may be a place full of resources you didn’t know you needed to continue on your original journey. But, as an old time trapper in my little community was fond of saying, “Zach, only dead fish go with the flow.” (RIP Bob Lee) - So, pick a heading and steer your ship!
Daily Prompt: Are you listlessly floating through your life? What can you take hold of today to start steering your ship in the direction you want to go? Think of one small action you can take and write it down here:
Motivational Passage:
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you.
-1 Thessalonians 4:11
Rewilding Action: How long has it been since you started a fire? Given that in a survival situation this is often the most important aspect to surviving it’s important to know the core tenants of getting one started, and more importantly having the right tools. I always carry a small flint with me in the backcountry but have also been playing with some firestarters like Pyro Putty and Blackbeard’s Fire Starter. If you can, take some time this weekend to try and start a small fire and test your skill.
Does using a bic to light the burn pile count? 🤣
Another good one... also is very much related to a phrase I was given by a mentor: sometimes a move laterally is more effective than the direct path... as long as you're moving.
Thank you again for your wisdom!