Living Well Doc's note: Today, we're doing something a little different. Here at Health & Wealth Bulletin, we love hearing stories from people who get out and take their lives into their own hands without waiting for some government handout or mandate. Recently, I received an e-mail from a longtime colleague and friend who has done just that...
Jason Chen has spent years with Stansberry Research, devoting himself to making our company great. We, and many others around the company, go to Jason when we need to get something done. His dedication to his work is inspiring, and like most of us, COVID-19 knocked him and his family a little out of balance. But Jason figured it out... He searched for a way to keep energized and balanced. Ironically, he found it in a place that requires some physical balance.
He recently wrote to me to about how he has stayed healthy – physically and mentally – during one of the greatest global challenges most of us will face. When I read it, I immediately reached out to ask him if we could share it. I hope it inspires someone else to find that place for themselves...
As I look out at the horizon from my kayak, I take a deep breath of relief.
I have needed this time away... away from the pandemic, my family, my responsibilities, and everyone else's needs. I am finally at peace.
This "social distancing" since March has taken a toll on all of us... be it our health care providers for working nonstop in a dangerous climate, or all of the parents who have assumed full-time roles parenting at home with no parks, no school, and no "normal" activities that society has taken for granted for as long as all of us can remember.
One day, I will be able to tell my grandkids about the Pandemic of 2020.
But back to the kayak...
I started thinking about solo activities that I could partake in ever since the onset of monotony crept up from the daily routine of COVID-19 social distancing. Yes, it has been wonderful to have all this time with family, to see my kids grow up before my eyes, and have three meals a day with them. It is a pleasure! But I am only human. I need some time on my own. I need some free time to let my mind wander with no care in the world. How would I ever find the time to do this now that it is no longer acceptable to go out in public?
I have always enjoyed being by the water. I naturally flock toward a coast. This summer, I took my family to the beach four times. I just couldn't stay away. With remote working and learning, it was easy for us to just run away. But I didn't just want to be near the water... I wanted to be in it. I also needed to find some physical activity, as the COVID-15 pounds (that Doc has written about before) had been creeping up.
Hence the kayak.
I just went. I didn't think about it. I didn't plan it. I went to a local reservoir where I knew they had to have some boats for rent. Yes, success! All it took was $25 to get me into a solo kayak rental... including all previous germs. I could see there were not many safe practices going on here, but luckily, I came prepared. I had my water buffalo backpack with some antibacterial wipes and a snack.
I stepped into the kayak and pushed off into the water. I grabbed my paddle and realized I had no idea what I was doing. I hacked at the water... left, right, left, right... Which way does the paddle face? I had no idea. But slowly, I found myself in the middle of the reservoir, just me, the sky, and the ducks swimming by.
It was my nirvana.
My mind immediately cleared. My screaming children, my tired wife, the global pandemic... all my responsibilities immediately washed away. It was just me, this kayak, and the open water.
Best regards,
Jason Chen