How To Regain Ones Perspective Through Travel
This morning, I attended a networking breakfast at 7:30 AM
. Yes, I was well and truly back into my corporate mode after being away on vacation in Mexico.I found myself thinking back to my Mexico trip, remembering how tired I still felt a week into my vacation. When I should have been relaxing and enjoying the sites, my mind was like a car engine that was still running hot, even after the motor had been turned off. The reason was that I had been hosting back-to-back networking functions for businesswomen in Sydney, which I had been running right up to the evening before my departure; coordinating venues, chasing attendances and payments, confirming guest speakers, and making lists in my head when I should have been relaxing and getting some sleep.
Why didn't I start to wind down before my trip, knowing that I would be going on vacation? The answer is that I did not even realize how tired and stressed I had become. It's easy to lose perspective when we are too close to a situation, and it is only in stepping away from our normal routine that we can see where we are at with fresh eyes.
Travel has always been, for me, a great way to acquire a fresh perspective on my life, mainly because it gives me the opportunity to silence my mind. Silencing the mind, which is underrated in today's fast paced world, encourages our intuitive capacity, allowing us to reach new levels of awareness and insight. For example, I will be more likely to silence my mind as I'm treking through a glorious countryside or enjoying a beautiful sunset than sitting behind my desk back home.
For me, my "insightful moment" came in Tepoztlan, a charming town 90 km outside of Mexico City, where my husband and I stayed at the lovely home of a family friend. After yet another sleepless night, I got out of bed in the early hours of the morning, pulled a blanket around me, and walked out into the lush tropical garden, finding myself a quiet spot that afforded me a glorious view of the majestic mountains of Tepoztlan.
As I sat gazing at the sun rising from behind the jagged silhouette of the majestic mountains, I was able to silence the proverbial "monkey in my brain" and look at my frantic lifestyle with fresh eyes. I realized that I was not honouring myself by overloading myself with networking functions as it was not bringing my business the profits that were equal to the efforts I was putting in. My "busyness" was also keeping me from doing what I really loved, which was writing. I also became aware of how out of balance my lifestyle had become, with all my daily activities concentrating around my computer and little physical exercise. My shoulder and neck muscles were knotted and screaming for attention.
After this realization "dropped in", I recorded my insights in a journal. Then, when the sun came up and my husband awoke, I was able to share my thoughts with him. It was in the sharing that my thoughts and insights began to gradually unfold and take shape. For me, this whole process helped me to find a practical solution to my problem and enabled me to gain valuable support in changing my life direction. After the great relief that came after this process, my sleep gradually came back, allowing me to fully enjoy the rest of our trip.
When you have a life situation that needs looking at with fresh eyes, here is a simple process that you can practice on your travels which will help you regain your life perspective:
1) Pick a quiet moment alone to gaze at something beautiful or awe inspiring, be it a mountain or a beautiful work of art. Bring a journal with you for recording any insights that may arise.
2) Make yourself comfortable, and sit in silence. Gently push any trivial thoughts aside. Regulate your breathing and be in the moment.
3) After a while, inspiring thoughts, insights or great ideas may start to "drop in". Allow them to come in without judging them.
4) Record these in your journal, along with a description of how they made you feel. Do you feel relief or excitement at the thoughts? Do you feel as though the "penny has dropped"? Write that down.
5) Share the thoughts afterwards with someone who will listen without judgment or tell you what to do. You can have this conversation face-to-face, by phone, or even via email. The sharing is important as it forms the beginning of a gradual unfolding for you.
So here I am, back in Sydney, starting my day with another networking breakfast at 7:30 AM. "You're back to the same old routine. What's changed, then?", a colleague asked me. Well, plenty; my perspective for starters.
The difference this time was that I had not organized this function, so I was able to sit back and enjoy it and have the energy afterwards for networking with the other guests. By 10:00 AM, I swapped my Black Corporate Suit for my Red Tracksuit and a Pilates class, followed by a balanced lunch. In the afternoon, I had plenty of energy for creative writing. One balanced off the other, leaving me with plenty of time and energy afterwards to be more creative.
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