The last Friday in July is, among other things, "National Get Gnarly Day". The word “gnarly” can mean “bad” or “dangerous” but can also mean something exciting and unpredictable, which is the way I learned it, from surfers who use the term to describe the waves they tackle. Dictionaries tell us that "gnarly" means both "twisted" as in roots or fingers, and "difficult, dangerous, or challenging." Much like surfers challenging the waves, Get Gnarly Day challenges us to put some gnarliness into everything we do, providing an opportunity to embrace new ideas and toss out old ways.
Many people look at January 1st, the first day of the Gregorian calendar, as a time to start new things. Some people call in a backup at April 1st, the day the Romans set as the first day of the year, and others follow religious new years such as Rosh Hashonnah. I've said that we need to have more "first days" and starting points, because it can be daunting to have one day a year, and measurement can be a struggle. This is why I started the mini-resolutions and every month to do something new, or different, or accomplish something.
Get Gnarly Day might be a another good starting point, but a day to not just mark something routine such as making sure all the floors get washed, or you eat enough vegetables (too easy for me in the summertime!), or starting any new thing. It's a day to pick a new perspective, something truly new, something you normally wouldn't because it is, or appears to be, difficult, dangerous, or challenging. Embrace it, and the learning you will experience as you undertake something gnarly today, this weekend, and in your life.
