Mojo Lost? Get out!

I celebrated my 38th birthday recently. Not that I am into commemorations, but this time it seems different. The previous twelve months mark a burdensome period for me, both professionally and privately, and the challenges started exactly one year ago. 

Going through a rough patch is not an easy task, because you'd never know for sure, that it is over and when it is over, but it sure has an immense impact on your psyche. As soon as you feel you start losing you mojo, the magic vanishes slowly but obviously, which has escorted you for so long on your happy days. Dullness and dissatisfaction become dominant, lead you to unhappiness and anger. You become your own Mr Grinch.

Now, after a year of grumbling around, I finally sense some springtime in me. It is still not the conventional "All Downhill From Here", but hot issues keep on cooling down, new and exciting ones are emerging, life becomes fun again, merit. No more dire straits, therefore good, enjoyable time, as if someone shook the crystall ball I  happened to be in.

I owe this progress to no doctor, shrink or psychiatrist, but to being outside again. Personally, this is my religion, ergo the name of my blog.

Staying outside will not solve your problems, but it will give you time and place to think in peace. No phones, no mails and, even for a short period of time, no annoyances. You don't have to pay for such a good treatment, just leave home. Walk, run, bike, sit and listen to yourself. You'll suddenly feel the relief and discover new perspectives.

In today's world, we are all undeniably connected. Everything serves communication. It might not be easy to ensure solitude everytime, but it is definitely in your hands. Gadgets like cell phones or laptop computers are not to blame, if you don't turn them off. So, turn them off.

Getting out into the wild (wild=your definition here) will lift you up. Seconds into the fresh air, you'll feel the difference.

I myself avoided the fresh air for a whopping decade of my life and opted for long office hours, cigarettes and a pressured life. This was many many years ago, and if someone asked me, what I would have done differently in my life if I had the chance to redesign it, it will be those 10 years lost. And then all of a sudden I discovered the outside world, which I ignored so many years and never looked back.

This alone makes me confident, that I have the necessary courage (and the endurance) to overcome such a troubled period again. It is not a patent formula for everyone, though. Your lost mojo can be concealed deep in your own jungle, but no matter what kind of a slacker you might be, kicking your ass out of that big comfy couch into the Mother Earth will help you rescue it.

Outside world is a community, a big family of many of brothers and sisters, people of your own ilk. They share the same love, the very same passion for the nature, albeit in different fashions. Some like it on two wheels like I do, some in hot running shoes, but we (learn to) respect each other, above all we all learn to respect the nature, Mother Earth.

So, do yourself a big favor and spend your next afternoon outside for a change. Trust me on this one: You'll not regret it!

P.S. Drop a line or two and feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your story!

Picture: Me rocking the Ae Trail in Dumfries (South Scotland), April 2007.