The Campfire Code

Last week, I had a fantastic experience: a long weekend with some of my best friends at our cabin up in the mountains.  We fished. We chopped wood. We cooked meat (and fish) over a fire. Some beverages were had. And we had some incredible conversations about fish and life. As I was preparing for a lecture about "living the good life," I asked everyone to share one lesson meaningful to them.  

Here they are, written as I remember them.

Everything is Practice

Bob shared this one. Everything in life is practice in some way or shape. You'll encounter challenging situations everywhere you look. Rather than commiserate about them, consider them to be practice. An opportunity to learn. A chance to get better. A chance to practice. So next time that or another challenging situation arises, you'll be better prepared.

F..k Your Comfort Zone

Of course, Ryan had to introduce some swear words to this. Yet the lesson is a good one. Growth doesn't happen within your comfort zone. Growth happens right outside of it, sometimes even far outside of it. The reality is that doing uncomfortable things will allow you to grow. This is important all through life. But it's imperative when you're just getting started. Do things that make you uncomfortable. Live outside of that comfort zone. Grow. And prosper.

Make Space

Chris, of course, came prepared with a whole code of ideas, the code he lives by. Maybe we'll write about that later. But this lesson is a powerful one. Make space in life. Space to breathe. Space to think. Space to contemplate. Space to work on yourself.  Space to get away. Space to do the things you're passionate about. Space to be with the people you love. Life moves insanely fast. Make space for the things that matter.  

It All Compounds

This one is mine. Just about everything compounds. Every little action, every habit (good and bad), every friendship nurtured, and every dollar saved will compound over time and could be incredibly significant in the future. So make good little choices. Save. Spend time with the people you love. It all compounds. It all matters.

There Are No Absolutes

And I'll let Alex (aka Slow Elk) close things out, as he did around the campfire our last morning at the cabin. There are no absolutes in life. Nothing is absolutely true or false. Friction and contradictions exist everywhere. In life. In work. In love. Even in this post. Take things with a grain of salt.  Think about the pros and cons. And then make your own decisions.

Good luck.