Traveling: A Necessary Perspective Shift

This week I’m writing to you from PHX, AZ!

We’ve spent a few days hanging here to unwind, meet with some friends, and explore the area.

As we’ve been here – I couldn’t help but think about how important it is to travel. And more specifically, get out of our comfort zone and local circle.

Challenging Your Beliefs

We grow accustom to what we surround ourselves with. Often times we tailor what we see, hear, and consume to fit OUR current beliefs.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with this – but I do think it’s important to understand other perspectives. That’s exactly what traveling provides:

Perspective.

If all we ever know is all we’ve ever known… we miss out on other opportunity, lifestyles, ideas, and views. Without understanding your options, how will you hone in on what you’re called to?

It’s important to challenge the things you’ve chosen. That could be your beliefs, your career path, your lifestyle, your friend group, or your mindset. These things are challenged when you surround yourself with new people in new cultures.

It can be overwhelming at times. But the novelty almost always results in clarity once these new things have been digested thoroughly.

Seeing the “opposite” of your beliefs only allows you to lean further into why exactly you believe what you believe. The opposite provides opportunity to appreciate why you are the way you are.

Meeting New People

My favorite part about traveling has to be the people. Whether it’s a friend of a friend, a business owner, or the person sitting next to you on the plane – it’s great to get to know these people.

I’ve never been a very outgoing person, but challenging myself to begin a conversation in these moments has allowed me to grow in many ways. I always feel refreshed and energized when having these sometimes difficult conversations.

The greatest things about new people is new opportunity. I sometimes felt that my life has lacked “opportunity” in a sense. I rarely feel that “too many” doors are open at once. Rather, it feels that doors rarely open to new things for me.

I believe a major part of this is due to my lack of meaningful relationships with people. It sometimes feels that a small circle equals small opportunity.

Although this may not be true, I do wish I had made connections with more people in more areas. It almost always seems that any job opportunity, business opportunity, or even location change stems from knowing people.

Hoping to do more of this in the coming years!

Greater Appreciation

Something I learned a few years ago is that travel makes me appreciate home.

There are great things about new places, and there are not-so-great things about new places. Being somewhere else allows me to appreciate home in new ways that I wouldn’t have otherwise known.

If you have no where to compare your “home” to, you can’t appreciate the pros of your current location.

When I’ve felt stuck or stagnant in my current position at home, traveling has always opened up my mind to challenge these negative thoughts.

• Best case scenario: You realize home actually is a great place.
• Worst case scenario: You find somewhere else you’d love to live.

I hope to do a lot more traveling this year, and especially in the next couple years.

It always allows for necessary mindset and lifestyle shifts. It makes me feel more grateful, thankful, and open to new opportunity.

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What do you enjoy about traveling? What are a few of your favorite places to go?

Would love to hear your take on this. Have a great weekend!

–Eric P