I found myself shoehorned into my window seat on a plane this morning, staring out over the Gulf of Mexico before we hit Central America. From this aerial view, a familiar sting hits me. What’s out there?
Nine times out of ten, I prefer the road over the plane. Air travel, a necessary evil for world exploration, skips the magic found in the journey's middle.
I see mountain ranges, forgotten dirt roads, and quiet towns scattered across landscapes I yearn to explore. Travel for me isn’t about luxury hotels; it's the taco shacks, food carts, and hidden swimming holes that leave their mark on my soul.
It's about letting new experiences infiltrate your being. If you don’t let new places leave their fingerprints on you, then what’s the point?
Like my passport, stamped and marked, I want my soul to reflect my travels. The thought of finishing life without these adventures, these dives into curiosity, is like seeing a pristine Ferrari locked away. What a waste! I crave to have my soul altered by my focused experiences, not just the ones I stumbled upon.
Life is a choose-your-own-adventure novel. Your origin sets the stage, but Act 2 is realizing that no one but you can do IT for you. If contentment finds you on this standard path, great. But the magic? It's for those who realize they can change almost everything about themselves.
That realization? It's electrifying. But with freedom comes responsibility. You want to change? Be ready for the consequences, both good and bad. Say it with me: "IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO ME" if you're not willing to face them.
And let's get one thing straight: your pursuit should never harm others. If it does, you're just a jerk doomed to misery.
So, where does your adventure lead? I choose the hero's path, battling modern dragons like self-doubt and bad habits. Overcoming negative self-talk, practicing gratitude, and embracing every experience, good or bad, has shifted my mindset and unlocked a profound sense of self-worth.
In Austin, I embraced new practices, including gratitude meditation with a mala, reminding me of my best self. This practice has profoundly impacted my mood and focus, amplifying my happiness.
On my latest adventures to Uganda, Egypt, and Jordan, I adapted new cultural practices into my gratitude routine. Observing Muslim prayer times inspired me to set alarms for daily gratitude and love affirmations. This simple, free practice has been transformative for my mindset, happiness, and focus, proving that diving headfirst into gratitude can change your life.
So, are you ready to let gratitude reshape your world?
