By: Jeremy Chipps & sponsored by siggi's
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I met a friendly Icelandic man by the name of Guðmundur or “Gummi” (pronounced Goo-meh). He talks about how Icelanders often live by way of the sun and weather. You’ve probably heard “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin with his line about “chasing the midnight sun.” Well, it’s real life here. Part of Iceland sits upon the Arctic Circle, so the days are very long in the summertime.
Icelanders also use Forrest Gump’s quote, “Life’s like a box of chocolates...you never know what you’ll get”, to describe their weather. Accurate. It’s late May and we just experienced a 2-minute hail storm before taking a leisurely, sunny walk to the grocery store.
Time for a fun weather comparison between Los Angeles, California, and Reykjavik, Iceland. According to the website, “Weather & Climate”, in LA, November averages the fewest hours of sunshine with just 217 hours. In Reykjavik, on the other hand, the month of May is the sunniest month averaging around 201 hours of sunshine. That’s 16 fewer hours of sunshine in Reykjavik’s sunniest month compared to LA’s least sunny month. Quite different! Annually, LA sees more than twice as much sunshine as Reykjavik.
Back to our new friend, Gummi, with a story from his childhood. One clear, “warm”, summer night, at 10 years old, Gummi is out biking with his friend. His mother expects him home by 10 pm. Sure enough, Gummi walks through the door just in time, however, he’s confused by his mother’s sharp look of disapproval.
“What are you doing? It’s a beautiful night to be outside. I’ll see you back here at midnight.” (In Icelandic, of course) his mother said with a smirk, ushering Gummi to go and be free. He smiled and quickly disappeared. And I’ll bet his friend’s mom said the same thing!
As you can tell, Icelanders don’t take the sunshine or good weather for granted. What a pure, real-life example of embracing the moment. Letting a 10-year-old be 10. Forgetting about life’s distractions and simply enjoying the only place we can be, which is in the present.
You’re allowed to give yourself this same freedom and grace in your life. It’s okay to occasionally break the routine. I know you have a lot on your plate. Trying to succeed at work, making more money, nurturing relationships, getting enough sleep, pursuing personal goals, and living up to expectations. But what if it’s just irresistibly nice outside? How does that fit in? Do you leave yourself some space to be spontaneous? Can we all just please put, “go play outside”, on our personal goals or to-do list?
We should all pretend we’re 10 years old again. It’s challenging to be this mentally free as an adult. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I do know that going outside makes me feel good. Breaking the routine and eliminating distractions helps me feel free. That sense of freedom brings me joy, which makes me better in other areas of my life. Remember that one simple change or healthy choice will likely lead to many more.
It appears many Icelanders understand this. Their connection to nature is inspiring. They seem to live slower, simpler lives. They don’t think so far into the future or plan out every aspect of life. They wait and see which way the wind blows and where the sun shines. That’s the simple life I want to live because less sets you free.
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