Nature and the Pursuit of Life: What is the “Trophy” in Life?

I was hunting on a ridge, 19 feet up in a poplar tree located in a spot where several saddles and deer trails converged. I had hung this tree stand during the spring, after locating it during my winter time scouting.

The rut was in full swing and the big bucks were up on their feet trolling for some loving. The stand location leveraged every variable, from the wind direction to the angles of cover in order to avoid being busted when, as my pal Michael Waddell puts it, “Old Sad Daddy” reveals himself to me in shooting range .

This was one of those moments where you sit back in your tree stand and you feel proud. You feel this deep sense of confidence, calm, and endorphins rushing in simultaneously. It was a magical moment that a dedicated sportsman feels when they are attuned with nature and in the moment. I thought to myself, “this is about as perfect of a feeling as I can experience.”

It made me ponder the question “what is the trophy really?” At that very moment, an epiphany came down upon me that forever changed my views on the woods, business, family and life in general.

So what, you might ask, was this epiphany? I realized that too often in life we over-obsess with the kill, or with the closing, instead of the pursuit. When I think of successes I have had in the field, in business, and in life, one thing rings true every time. It was actually the moment that I knew “it” was about to happen, when my thinking deeply resonated with my inner feelings, and I was about to will “it” to happen. Hence, it is more about “break through moments” then “break out moments.” It is the moment when you realize that the hard work, the dedication to excellence, the patience, and the practice were about to pay off and this represents the “break through moment.”

As I write I am looking at the multiple amazing whitetails I have arrowed on my office wall, and I can remember the break through moments, or the moments before I released my arrow, far more than what took place afterwards. My point is that sometimes it is about the sit, or the moment before the arrow is released, far more than the kill. It is about being one with nature, being conscious at higher levels with a keen awareness that is known best by a passionate outdoorsman. With this mindset, we are likely to get more out of life in the woods, our home, and our careers. After all, it truly is about the journey and not the destination.

Have an amazing weekend and see you next week.

David Farbman

The only thing typical about my life is the non-typical nature that I appear to live in. I firmly believe in the natural order of the world, and I find that this belief helps to navigate me through life, business, and relationships, resonating with my soul. I am in flow with nature and the universe in this way. I blog in an effort to pass on a message about the connections between nature, hunting, and life. Within that realm lies an authentic, clearer path to universal connectivity that I try to live in. The answers to many of our desired outcomes can be found there. My desired outcome is to successfully pass on the ideas, wisdom, and karma that come to me because of my connection with nature and the universe. As this script unfolds in my life, I want to share and help others while adding to the greater good of the world. Many people claim this, but I truly mean it and I bring it into action every day I am on this earth--or at least I sure try. I learned to hike, camp, canoe, horseback ride, fish, and sling arrows at a very young age. A spiritual connection with the outdoors came to me as a little boy and the power of this connection has greatly increased over my lifetime. As a hyper-active person since birth, nature has always settled me down and focused me in while helping me tap into thoughts and ideas that exist within the ether. By thinking, feeling and then willing something to happen after first opening our minds and our vision in a neutral state, we can achieve that which is otherwise unthinkable. I turned 40 years old last October and this past year has served as my catalyst year to promote change. I am in a process of self-actualization as I try to live present in each moment of each day. As part of this process, certain feelings must be turned into actions and done so with complete authenticity. I often write thoughts that come to me and in turn help others--and I believe the greatest return in life is to successfully give. I founded Outdoor Hub in 2007 along with a talented bunch of people and together we created something special. For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of doing something that would help to grow the outdoors and grow hunting--earning it the respect it deserves amongst those who choose not to hunt. I am so excited to be on this journey and I invite you into the field, to climb up a tree, to crawl through the swamps and be one with nature together. Thank you for joining me, the hunt is on...