Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. This week, I want to talk about satisfaction
As the Rolling Stones once said, “I can’t get no, satisfaction”, but what really had me thinking about it was finishing the book Perseverance Life and Death in the SubArctic, by Stephan Kesting.
I had purchased the book a few months back and it had been sitting in my eternally backed up reading queu.
I found Stephan Kesting more than a decade ago as a fantastic online resource for Brazilian Jiu Jistu techniques and training material.
While I’ve never met him personally, you watch the way he teaches and interacts, and ingest enough of his content, and you get a pretty good sense that he is a great guy.
When covid wreaked havoc on BJJ gyms and training, Stephan offered his instrcutional courses to the public free of charge.
This was his way of giving back to the community at a time when they couldn’t train.
So, as a long-time subscriber to his content, I was excited to be able to support him when he wrote to his followers and customers, requesting we preorder his new book about sub arctic exploration.
I don’t know that I have a whole lot of interest in sub arctic canoe exploration. But I do place a lot of value on transformative life experiences, especially those that involve endurance, sweat, and maybe a touch of masochism.
The story Stephan tells, of his 50-day solo journey through the sub arctic, a significant portion of it upstream, checks all those boxes.
Stephan masterfully describes the natural beauty, the connection to earlier times and explorers, as well as the excruciating physical and mental toll of the journey.
It was a quick read, that left me with a lot of respect for Stephan. The planning, execution, and the grit required to see through the project were all very impressive.
But what stuck with me the most, was the books closing remarks. Below are some quotes from the final pages of the book.
“Finally, one of them blurted out, “That’s a really cool trip, but did you enjoy it?” The question took me aback, and it took a while to collect my thoughts. When I finally spoke, I explained that this was probably the wrong question. Yes, this trip had many enjoyable moments, but the trip hadn’t been about enjoyment.”
“yes, I had been happy sometimes, but the trip hadn’t been about happiness. Most of the time, I had been worried, cold, wet, scared, or exhausted. The totality of the journey wasn’t as simple as
seeking enjoyment.”
“The afterglow of satisfaction is much more durable than the fleeting
sugar high of happiness. And yes, the whole thing had been profoundly
and immensely satisfying. Experiences that give you satisfaction transform
who you are, and you can bring those changes back to the world with you.”
I think Stephan does an incredible job summing up the experience, albiet to a bewildered friend. Asking about happiness is the wrong question? Your friends already think you are crazy for going on this trip and then you drop that on them.
I completely agree with him, and I know where he is coming from. I take on lots of activities and challenges that make friends and colleagues question my sanity.
Most of those activities leave me very little in the way of happiness. But they do leave me with a deep sense of satisfaction. A sense of accomplishment and a sense of self. A sense that I can take on more challenges in the future, be they planned or unexpected.
Stepping on the mat with another person whose goal is to try and choke you unconcious. Riding your bike up a mountain high enough that pilots require supplemental oxygen. Snowboarding through tree wells on an unfamiliar slope after a decade away from the sport.
The common point in all of these activities is, as Stephan so eloquently wrote, the lasting changes you can bring back into the world with you.
Being brave and prepared enough to have these types of transformative experiences is hard enough. Being able to effectively communicate the message to the public, especially a public who has not had similar adventures is a duanting task.
In my own small way, I hope that’s what this blog does. Communicates the profound satisfaction I get from these types of adventures. The changes that they have produced in me. The lessons they have taught me. Lessons, which I hope to pass on to my boys and share with you.
The rolling stones might not have gotten any satisfaction, and happiness might not be the right question. But, I think Lynyrd Skynyrd’s mother said it best. “All I want for you my son is to be satisfied”
Thanks for joining me, stay safe and stay sweaty my friends.
