Many boys ask themselves — “Do I have what it takes?”

This concept was sparked for me after reading Wild at Heart by John Eldridge.

I see my boys wrestling with this question often.

They have a need for adventure and danger — as a playground to test their skills.

I watch them come alive when they face uncertainty and set sight on a steep hill to climb.

This week we took an impromptu 5-day camping adventure. I’m writing this just hours after getting home.

Rewind for a moment to hours before leaving.

I looked at the weather report, and it said rain all week.

Dang!

I almost called everything off, but…

We all opted for making memories — even if that meant facing challenging weather.

My boys needed this break from the day-to-day life at home. We all did.

Our boys got the dose of excitement and danger they had been longing for.

We saw snakes skimming the riverbanks.

Crashing thunder from a passing storm woke us all up in the middle of the night.

We went on 4 hour hikes through the river.

We fought the current, slipped on hidden rocks, scraped our knees, banged up our toes, and slide down rapids — the boys ate it up.

I saw my sons fully charged as they pressed their limits.

I thought many times about my boys asking themselves, “Do I have what it takes?”

I relished in the fact that their bold explorations silently answered that question.

One moment in particular stands out for me when this questions was extremely evident.

Ocean (my 5 year old) was trying to swim against the current.

I kept asking him, “You okay buddy? Need any help?”

NIOPE he said.

He wanted to struggle — on his own.

He wanted to fight for the win.

He found his flow state in the middle of being crushed by water and channeling his inner Navy Seal.

He even said, “Papa…it’s okay. If I die, it’s my fault.” I laughed.

Now that’s extreme personal responsibility for a 5-year old!

Now… he was no where close to facing death, but he was facing his fears and I’m super proud of him.

So what’s this have to do with you?

If you’ve found yourself in a comfy home, on a comfy couch, binging on Netflix, and having all the food you want at your fingertips…

It might be time to find a little discomfort. Time for an adventure. Time to social distance in a new spot.

If we don’t seek out new challenges, we get soft.

We get weak.

We risk being boring, habitual and predictable. This is uninspiring to our kids (and your wife.)

Gents… you have what it takes.

Let’s help our kids discover the same belief within themselves.

This week, see if you can use those words — YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.

Share your stories with me. I’d love to hear.

In search of adventure,

JV