I first met Mors Kochanski in 1995 at his place in Alberta. Over the years we’ve stayed in touch and I’ve learned much from his sage advice. Recently at Woodsmoke we were chatting when someone complained about being kept up late the night before. Mors responded with several great lines I’ll never forget. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this:
If you’re hungry, sing a song.
If you’re tired, laugh.
If you’re cold, tell a joke.
If the bed is too hard, turn over more frequently.
Attitude influences outcome. How you respond to situations frames not only how you see the world, but also how the world sees you.
Yesterday I had dinner with two guys who work for the tv show Mountain Men. They’re here in northern Maine looking for people to cast for next season (not me, in case you were wondering). Like me, one of them has read much about Shackleton and his ill-fated Antarctic expedition, and we spoke about his leadership techniques and penchant for surrounding himself with optimists. I told the story of Mors at Woodsmoke and he said what I was thinking. “There’s a guy who gets it.”
After a busy few weeks of travel, this morning I’m sitting in the guide shack enjoying the quiet and hot cup of coffee, feeling fortunate to have crossed paths with so many people who get it.
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Great article. I actually was thinking the same thing last night as I was writing on my own blog. Thought I would share. I often use bushcraft as a way to keep my mind open to learning new skills. It has become a great way for me to shed the worries of the day and keep me wanting to learn new things. As a father of four, I work to pass on this knowledge to them.
That’s great Jeff. Those four kids will thank you for it someday.