Bear Grylls - Never Give Up

I knew nothing about Bear Grylls when I saw him on an episode of Hot Ones, the YouTube show on which celebrities eat increasingly spicy chicken, or chicken substitute, wings and answer thoughtful questions. I may not remember his answers, but I remember his extraordinary grace and his ability to relate to the host and commonalities between their shows. It made me interested enough to order his book from the library.

Before completing this write-up, I decided to keep the book. Again, I don’t remember his exact anecdotes but I do remember my feeling of inspiration at his candor and wisdom, however hard-earned it may have been for him to gain or even me to recognize in my life today. Above all, he inspires me to keep chasing my goals, to never give up, and to not be afraid of making mistakes or not doing things perfectly. I remember how much I have always loved challenge and adventure in my life. Somewhere after my past obstacles, I may have taken the wrong lesson, that is, that I was meant to conform, to chase more conventional goals, to make my life look more traditional from the outside in, from the inside out, and really, this was a special form of torture to myself. Or perhaps, it was a special journey for me to take, to answer these questions, to know that I can only be myself, I can only live authentically, and to recapture the pieces of me that I miss the most.

I am quite proud to have finally lived in one place for more than 2 consecutive years. I had my childhood in southern California, I had 3.5 year stints in Northern California and Taiwan, and now I have 6 years in Los Angeles. Despite recent opportunities, I do know for certain that I want to live here and grow some permanent roots here. Yet this book gave me a word I had been missing in my thoughts and in my soul - adventure.

Adventure does not mean the same to everyone. My desire to adventure through language, through relationships, through challenging work, through chasing my heart, is not for everyone and may not even be for me today. I don’t know if I would get the same thrill from outdoors adventures that he gets in the book. Yet I am long overdue to push my limits. 

What a blessing this book has been in its energy and honesty. We cannot get it all right, we cannot have it all, and we certainly cannot have it all at the same time. We can, however, be honest about what we want, who we are, and what we can contribute during our short time on earth. Thank you, Bear Grylls, for sharing some of your story in this format. 




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