Why do we seek?
Life is an adventure – you know this. We do, too. But what is it in you and me that prompts us to seek adventures?
While a few intense types may take to skydiving or waterfall kayaking to feel ALIVE, other adventurers aren’t consumed by crazy, thrill-seeking endeavors. Instead, we feel a calling to know that we’ve enjoyed less traveled roads. In changing it up from our personal comfort-zone, we are searching for something very simple – a better understanding of where we fit into the “big beautiful picture of life.”
You know there’s a drive within you that urges you to explore. You seek out experiences that offer opportunities to reflect on yourself or, perhaps, even face a nagging truth. You yearn to experience more – to know yourself and this land more fully.
About 10 years go, British researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London used MRI tracking to capture brain activity. They discovered why adventure feels so good. The answer? The ventral striatum – found in a primitive area of the brain, it’s involved in processing rewards when subjects choose adventure-oriented ideas or objects through the release of neurotransmitters, like dopamine. The ventral striatum is also one of the key areas involved in helping humans learn behaviors that are beneficial and worth repeating. We love when data proves what we already intuitively know. When we experience the joy of a rewarding outing in nature, we learn that happy adventures energize us, so we seek more of them.
At Bowlus, we are always listening so we can give you more of what you want. This allows you the ability to seek out marvelous adventures that are important to you. Our owners tell us, “the more you seek, the more you wish to seek.” True, isn’t it?
The excursions we seek are simple, yet profound. Maybe it starts with the satisfaction of accomplishment – you started at point A, and you arrived at Point B. Maybe the incredible feeling that goes along with adventuring fuels your desire. Whatever your reason for seeking, hold on to it and never let it go. The rewards are truly amazing.