Life at the Edge

What exactly happens at the edge??It was once widely believed that the earth was flat and if you sailed off the edge … well, then what??Early explorers set out to find the answer to the “then what?”?By leaving their comfort zone and pushing themselves to the edge they learned something very profound – the world isn’t flat after all.

It’s day six of a 10-day bear hunt on Kodiak Island, Alaska.?We have hunted from 6:30 am to 10 pm for six straight days.?On average we see about three bears per day – nothing I would care to shoot.?So, what happens during these 16-hour days? It is monotonous, cold and wet.?I am physically exhausted; my body is sore and being attacked by insects.?Sounds miserable, doesn’t it??I enjoy hunting for many reasons but have found that when I rise to the occasion and overcome the mental and physical challenges of hunting, it helps me in every area of my life.

Sometimes I must leave my comfort zone to learn that “my world is not flat” and that if I get too close to the edge I won’t fall off.

I enjoy training for the edge.?I work hard to stay in good physical and mental condition. Occasionally I like to go out and test myself; hence, I am here in Alaska hunting enormous bears that can easily hunt me.?By pushing myself to expand my capacity to handle the extreme conditions of a hunt, I am also better prepared to handle the difficulty of life.?Let’s face it, life can be every bit as cruel as a cold, wet tent.?Being able to ignore discomfort in the pursuit of your goal is a worthy effort. But the big payoff comes when I am focused on my goal (harvesting a trophy animal) and for that to occur, I must remain “in the moment” to be ready when the animal presents itself.?I also have to silence my mind as it has tried for hours to convince me that “it’s too hard, too cold, too wet, too dark or I’m too tired” to continue.?There is no distraction, no social media, no cell service … just me versus me.?A renewed lesson in life about controlling my thoughts and remaining present is something I bring back after every hunt.

In 2022, while on a stone sheep hunt, I almost died twice while pursuing a trophy sheep. I wound up shooting him on a mountain at 9000 feet in elevation.?(Did I mention I have a fear of heights?)?Talk about getting out of my comfort zone and finding the edge.?I shot the stone sheep at dusk and had to descend the mountain in the dark. I was absolutely exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally.?Just about the time that I was beginning to wonder if I would?make it down the mountain, I leaned into something else.?I looked up and saw the incredible beauty of the Northern Lights and at once?had an overwhelming sense of God’s presence and He was telling me “I’ve got you.”

Four more days of bear hunting to go. Four more days of pushing to expand my comfort zone and grow.?Four more days of practicing remaining “in the moment.” I don’t know if I will get my bear or not, but I am bringing back something even more meaningful – a new and better version of myself and the renewed belief that my world is not flat and is meant to be explored.