Savouring the Sunrise

I have just arrived back from a bit of a break. For those who know me, you know that this most often means some trip into the wilderness somewhere. On this occasion, I went to the cook islands, then to a smaller outer island by plane, then a 12 hour boat-ride in big seas (yuck) on an expedition vessel to a small uninhabited atoll called Manuae.
There I camped on the beach with some friends and fly-fished the pristine white flats for bonefish in the daytime. I caught (and subsequently released) a world-class , 12 lb bonefish on the fourth day - an amazing experience.
Stil, as most of my readers aren't flyfishers, I won't bore you with details. Suffice it to say, it stands alongside my 12 lb brown trout caught earlier this year, as a highlight of my flyfishing efforts over the past 12 years or so.
One of the wonderful things about being so far away from so-called civilization, is the feeling of being isolated and remote. For me, this affords me a sense and feeling of my actual place in the world as a small part of a larger living eco-system. Without the trappings of my daily life - e-mail, phones, car, laptop, etc - I begin to ponder the time I have and the way in which I use it to interact with the world at large. Sitting under some palm fronds on the sand as the sun comes up over an iridescent ocean is a beautiful time. In me it arouses a sense of wonder about the this amazing world we live in. I wonder how many sunrises I have left to me. I realize, more than ever, that the time I have left here is a limited thing and should not be wasted.
How easy it is to be caught up in the daily rituals of life and let the days slip by unnoticed. How many sunrises and sunsets do each of us have left? Not many of us know the answers to such questions - for those who do, usually people with terminal illnesses, etc - life acquire a whole new meaning - each day, each hour, each moment becomes precious beyond measure.
So as our financial advizors talk about wealth building and income streams, it is important to also consider the 'how' and 'why' of life and living.
I continually remind myself about the importance of living each and every day of my life to the fullest. This doesn't always translate into 'packing' each day full with activity - it more often means, 'being there', or being engaged in the wonderful act of 'living' - sometimes, t means sitting on the sand watching the sun come up over a pearlescent ocean in the middle of the pacific - other times it means going and checking the letterbox with my 8 year old son - or sitting on the side of the mat watching a new blue belt pull off his first omoplata.
Money has nothing to do with it - the type of car we drive has nothing to do with it - there are millions of unhappy rich people out there also.
For me it is about passion, purpose and living in the moment.
Put it in your diary to see at least one sunrise a year - if this is something you never do. if you can do it in a remote location - away from phone and fax, then all the better.
Time's a tickin ...
JBW