Travel is a powerful tool to open your mind to new ways of living, thinking and being.
If you have travelled before, you know the feeling of a new perspective. It’s hard to miss, almost alarming at first to see things that are out of the ordinary or “different”. As we learn to co-exist with other ways of thinking, living and being, we become a person of many perspectives, and that is a powerful tool.
What is unique about travel is that it changes us forever. Not just in the moment, but for a lifetime to follow. When we get back home from vacation, it seems as if everything is seen through fresh eyes. The news, our home, our routine and more can all benefit from a fresh perspective.
As we have mentioned before, travel is immensely good for your health, but less talked about is its benefits on your mind or overall state of being.
How travel shakes things up for the better
Patience
At home, it becomes easy to get “stuck” inside our own comfort zones. However, when we are in a situation where we know nothing and no one, we come face to face with our own patience. How we react in these situations defines who we are, and the more we practice, the better we can get at “going with the flow”.
Based on your personality type, you may have a short fuse when it comes to patience. However, when you are constantly in situations that you have limited control over, you begin to loosen the reigns and look for creative solutions that take time to be successful. Patience comes in handy during travel, but is also very applicable back home in your everyday life. Take a peek at these four reasons to cultivate patience.
Empathy
When we are at home watching the news, it’s often hard to understand how and why things are happening in the world. It can almost seem like a different universe, which allows us to distance ourselves from the issues. In fact, it’s not. We are all in this together, and travel has a way of bridging those gaps.
When you experience new people and see new places, you begin to realize that actually, we are all very much similar. We all want to be loved, feel safe and enjoy a sense of belonging. From this understanding we can later reflect on situations and events with a sense of empathy, not sympathy, putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes and supporting issues from a place of understanding, not judgement.
Ego
The ego doesn’t like change, but we can force change upon it.
When you have been doing something the same way for 20 years, you may think “why would I change?!” But on the road, things may have to be accomplished in different ways.
We can sometimes get tunnel vision about our daily routine, our way of working, or even a way of eating something, and it becomes a part of how we define ourselves. Sometimes we allow our ego to become so rigid that we simply can’t try anything else because we have ourselves convinced that our way is the “best way”.
When we travel, things we need are not always available, and ways of living are just different. Big things, from the way governments are run, and the way school systems work, to small things like how we like our morning coffee, or workout routine are forced to be re-examined. Sometimes, if we allow our ego to settle, we can learn something new, something that could enhance our life back at home.
Peace
Peace within ourselves and towards others. Travelling and meeting new people can bring huge amounts of contentment and joy towards one’s self. Confidence and understanding are byproducts of peace.
Chatting with new people is something that is hard to avoid while on vacation. However, at home it can be challenging to meet new people. Learning about new people and new cultures is a very satisfying practice and something that will most definitely serve you in the future.
Travelling can also make you very appreciative of what you already have. It can become enticing to always want more in all aspects of life, and while that can be healthy, too much desire can breed unhappiness. Being abroad gives you perspective on all the things that you have in your life to be grateful for.
Will you take the time to invest in your mind?
Travelling can provide you and your family unique benefits, including a fresh perspective.
Have you been thinking about a destination but not sure where or how to start planning? Winter break is not far away and a great time to get the family together for some much-needed quality time. Contact us today for industry specials and trade insight.
