“The hardest part of reaching heaven is realising that you have arrived.” Unknown

Have you ever noticed that when even the greatest idea in the world is given too much exposure it somehow loses its lustre in the eyes of the common man?

In the never-ending quest to experience “the next new thing”, the history of the world is the story of people everywhere repeatedly turning their backs on safe bountiful lives in an effort to fill an aching void inside themselves with something that perpetually seems to be just beyond their grasp.

So eager are they to hit the open road in search of adventure that many don’t ever pause to consider how they will find their way home from this journey; they have lost their perspective to the point that they are certain they will never want to return.

Still others so underestimate the difficulty of the trip that they rush out the door without consulting a map or considering that they might become so lost that they need help to find their way home.

The question is – if this pattern of behaviour repeats itself over and over again, is this foolish behaviour or a necessary rite of passage?

While you can argue this point either way, my own experiences have led me to conclude that there are two undeniable truths: firstly, it is only by losing our way and deciding to find our way home that we truly come to know ourselves and the things that we love and value most; and secondly, the harder the journey home, the sweeter the arrival that awaits us.

Perhaps that’s also why the best experiences in life may pass in and out of fashion but they never truly go away.

Instead, they simply bob quietly up and down like a boat on a mooring patiently waiting to be discovered anew by the next generation of adventurous spirits and rediscovered by those who once loved them in their youth.

Ironically although we live on an island where maritime pursuits once provided livelihood, transportation, leisure activities and an easy way to escape the afternoon heat for many island residents, fewer and fewer people seem to venture into the water in the electronic age.

But that does not change the fact that the most unique way to view the island’s undersea paradise is helmet diving – arguably Bermuda’s first and longest standing immersive experience.

There are very few places on earth where people of all ages can truly interact with a stunning variety of marine life in their natural environment without the need for a scuba diving license but in Bermuda this undersea paradise is only a short boat ride away. Surprisingly, few islanders have ever taken the plunge.

So, if you are tired of sitting around the house and think there is nothing new to do in Bermuda (or need a unique gift for the person who has everything), there is always the opportunity to experience the thrill of feeding a moray eel or hold a multicoloured nudibranch sea slug in your hand or watch a queen angelfish swim silent circles right in front of you against the backdrop of a living coral reef.

Add to this the breathtaking scenery of Mangrove Bay as you are whisked off by boat to the dive site and back, and it’s not hard to see why this once in a lifetime eco-experience needs to be on everyone’s bucket list.

The question is, are you ready to stop pining for distant shores and start exploring the heaven in your own backyard? Or, as my new friend Martin Rutte would say, are you ready to stop thinking heaven on earth and start doing heaven on earth?

For an insider’s view of my helmet diving experience with Hartley’s Undersea Walk watch the latest instalment of Robin’s Paradise: youtu.be/1zE4-giKfmk

Robin Trimingham is the managing director of The Olderhood Group Ltd and a business consultant, journalist, podcaster and thought leader in the fields of life transition and change management. Connect with Robin at https://bit.ly/3nSMlvc or robin@olderhood.com