Prospecting

My fascination for prospecting is helping take me down some great paths in which I’m not only exploring Alaska but also getting a chance to learn a lot about myself. I think that all of us are prospectors in one way or another. Maybe you’re literally prospecting but more than likely you’re prospecting in your daily life such as increasing your education, seeking new work, or increasing your peer group.

I personally am finding myself doing more mental prospecting. I’m not only working on PTSD and seeking out all those emotions and such that I’ve buried but I’m also seeking ways to better myself for now and the future.

My adventures out into Alaska’s wilderness have afforded me opportunities to go days without any cellular service and no reason to grab my phone to do anything more than take pictures. I try to find isolated locations so that I can be on my own.

I look back at all the years of being there for everyone else and I haven’t had any alone time. The best alone time I got was when I was training for my 50-mile run. Even then, I was thinking about work and family issues. I never had that true peace.

I sincerely appreciate my quiet time and seclusion; it’s provided some remarkable revelations and humbling experiences for me. The biggest thing for me is mindfulness! I’m talking about staying in the moment and remaining in it. For me the ultimate form is the ability to sit quietly and focus on nothing but the moment (focusing on breathing and keeping your mind clear). I can obtain that but not as much as I would like to.

I try to do basic activities with mindfulness such as when I’m washing the dishes. Today I drew water from a hand pump, filled my bucket and walked back to my campsite, applied some soap, and washed it with my bare hand. Throughout the entire time I focused on that task only but for me, washing dishes is awesome! My fingers are taking in info such as how dirty the pan is, how the water is (hard/soft, hot/cold, etc.), how sudsy is it and how do the suds feel? It just keeps going.

By going to that level of detail then it keeps my mind from wandering and just enjoying the moment. It’s funny, I just realized that I am prospecting for quietness and calm!

Well, it’s time to get back to some prospecting! I’ll have photos and a trip journey put together in a few days.

Thanks for reading and wandering with me!

Joel