I nourish active rebellion -Walt Whitman
Buy a One Way Ticket
I can’t explain the exhilaration of buying a one way overseas ticket. It is similar to having a wonderful secret. Or winning a lottery that only you know about. These days, I only buy one way tickets. Even if I know I might come back, I don’t buy the return. It is just more fun not to. At this point, I am happy to go somewhere and not make any plans for what I will do or how long I will stay. In fact, the moment I do make plans, they fall through and I have to change things anyway.
Stop Making Plans
I am a planner by nature. In fact, a major element of what I teach is goal setting and getting people to focus on. However, after I arrived on this journey, I have learned it is good to have a focused path, but not to get attached to anything (including plans). By not having expectations and limitations, it frees me to make more important decisions.
For example, if I am experiencing something that requires my attention, I can continue to spend focused time and energy on the situation. This could be a working project, a friend in need, or just taking in a beautiful moment. By going with the flow and seeing what happens, my life is freed.
Light Your Guidebook on Fire
My first day here I woke up early. I was waiting for my friend to wake up and eagerly paced the apartment, ready to conquer the city. Bored, I picked up the Bangkok guidebook and thumbed through familiar sites that I had seen from my previous trip. My friend must have felt my enthusiasm, looking at me with one eye, I was like a puppy ready to go out. It didn’t really hit me until we had this discussion:
Me: Do you want to go do something today?
Him: Like what?
Me: Well, we are in Bangkok…. We should go and Do Something.
Him: Brooke, you live here now. You don’t have to DO Anything.
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. ..
I didn’t need to rely on a guidebook to dictate my life. Life was just going to happen and I was going to forever be a part of where I lived.
Since I’ve been here, some of the best travel moments I have ever experienced have been last minute, haphazard, thrown together adventures. Each and every place I go, I stumble into a place to stay, serendipitously meet all the right people, and find my way to the next wonderful moment… all without a guidebook.
The Serendipity of Travel
When you learn to rely upon having no plans as a lifestyle, you get better at reading signs and having serendipitous moments. You will find that you meet people at the right times and they have information to share with you, or likewise, you have information to share with them. I have experienced that if you lean to count on your intuition and instincts that you will experience more and more well timed moments of connection and have the feeling that you have arrived just in time…
Showing Up Just In Time
Traveling abroad can be an overwhelming experience. Trying to sort out differences in language, arriving and staying at new destinations, dealing with passport and visa issues, and staying on top of running a business is trying, at best. But if you can take time each morning to sit quietly and determine what you need to do, your plans will be assisted. Taxi rides that seemingly take too long will deliver you into meeting up randomly with a friend. Going into a new restaurant you feel drawn to may give you the opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances. You will begin to learn to trust your instincts and realize that you are a small part of a greater plan that is at work.
I cannot even count the numerous experiences I have had where I was in a situation that seemed to be stressful or unfavorable and inevitably it delivered me Just In Time to a situation where someone needed my help.
Try to look outside of your situation to see how you can be available for others. If you are relaxed, you will be more approachable and be able to possibly help many people in your path. Just now, I am at the Bangkok immigration office. My day has been challenging and stressful, full of paperwork, confusing lines and loads of forms.
I went outside to get a break from the noise and met two gals that looked more bewildered than me. I was able to tell them where to go, what to do, and watch their bags while they were sorting out their documentation. In a matter of minutes, they arrived back with big smiles on their faces. Everything was sorted and they were on their way. My mild inconvenience of getting here ‘late’ was immediately erased and I knew that I had arrived Just In Time to help them.
We’re Done Here
When we can let go of timelines, expectations, and itineraries, we free ourselves to be more available for others. We will, in turn, find ourselves moving freely from one serendipitous moment to another. We can arrive just in time to help out, find out new information, or share insights with people that are in need of our knowledge.
Learn to let yourself be carried away in the moments that surround you. Interact with your surroundings and live by the theory that you are meant to have a positive impact on all of the people you encounter. Look for ways to connect with others, and your life will be full of magic. So when you find yourself stressed out by an agenda, remember this: Break the rules and throw away your itinerary! Instead, learn to live a life of magic.
“I had to run like a fugitive, just to save the life I live.”- Iron Lion Zion, Bob Marley
I nourish active rebellion
-Walt Whitman
Buy a One Way Ticket
I can’t explain the exhilaration of buying a one way overseas ticket. It is similar to having a wonderful secret. Or winning a lottery that only you know about. These days, I only buy one way tickets. Even if I know I might come back, I don’t buy the return. It is just more fun not to. At this point, I am happy to go somewhere and not make any plans for what I will do or how long I will stay. In fact, the moment I do make plans, they fall through and I have to change things anyway.
Stop Making Plans
I am a planner by nature. In fact, a major element of what I teach is goal setting and getting people to focus on. However, after I arrived on this journey, I have learned it is good to have a focused path, but not to get attached to anything (including plans). By not having expectations and limitations, it frees me to make more important decisions. For example, if I am experiencing something that requires my attention, I can continue to spend focused time and energy on the situation. This could be a working project, a friend in need, or just taking in a beautiful moment. By going with the flow and seeing what happens, my life is freed.
Light Your Guidebook on Fire
My first day here I woke up early. I was waiting for my friend to wake up and eagerly paced the apartment, ready to conquer the city. Bored, I picked up the Bangkok guidebook and thumbed through familiar sites that I had seen from my previous trip. My friend must have felt my enthusiasm, looking at me with one eye, I was like a puppy ready to go out. It didn’t really hit me until we had this discussion:
Me: Do you want to go do something today?
Him: Like what?
Me: Well, we are in Bangkok…. We should go and Do Something.
Him: Brooke, you live here now. You don’t have to DO Anything.
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t need to rely on a guidebook to dictate my life. Life was just going to happen and I was going to forever be a part of where I lived. Since I’ve been here, some of the best travel moments I have ever experienced have been last minute, haphazard, thrown together adventures. Each and every place I go, I stumble into a place to stay, serendipitously meet all the right people, and find my way to the next wonderful moment… all without a guidebook.
Serendipity
When you learn to rely upon having no plans as a lifestyle, you get better at reading signs and having serendipitous moments. You will find that you meet people at the right times and they have information to share with you, or likewise, you have information to share with them. I have experienced that if you lean to count on your intuition and instincts that you will experience more and more well timed moments of connection and have the feeling that you have arrived just in time.
Just In Time
Traveling abroad can be an overwhelming experience. Trying to sort out differences in language, arriving and staying at new destinations, dealing with passport and visa issues, and staying on top of running a business is trying, at best. But if you can take time each morning to sit quietly and determine what you need to do, your plans will be assisted. Taxi rides that seemingly take too long will deliver you into meeting up randomly with a friend. Going into a new restaurant you feel drawn to may give you the opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances. You will begin to learn to trust your instincts and realize that you are a small part of a greater plan that is at work.
I cannot even count the numerous experiences I have had where I was in a situation that seemed to be stressful or unfavorable and inevitably it delivered me Just In Time to a situation where someone needed my help. Try to look outside of your situation to see how you can be available for others. If you are relaxed, you will be more approachable and be able to possibly help many people in your path. Just now, I am at the Bangkok immigration office. My day has been challenging and stressful, full of paperwork, confusing lines and loads of forms. I went outside to get a break from the noise and met two gals that looked more bewildered than me. I was able to tell them where to go, what to do, and watch their bags while they were sorting out their documentation. In a matter of minutes, they arrived back with big smiles on their faces. Everything was sorted and they were on their way. My mild inconvenience of getting here ‘late’ was immediately erased and I knew that I had arrived Just In Time to help them.
Closing
When we can let go of timelines, expectations, and itineraries, we free ourselves to be more available for others. We will, in turn, find ourselves moving freely from one serendipitous moment to another. We can arrive just in time to help out, find out new information, or share insights with people that are in need of our knowledge. Learn to let yourself be carried away in the moments that surround you. Interact with your surroundings and live by the theory that you are meant to have a positive impact on all of the people you encounter. Look for ways to connect with others, and your life will be full of magic. So when you find yourself stressed out by an agenda, remember this: Break the rules and throw away your itinerary! Instead, learn to live a life of magic.
“I had to run like a fugitive, just to save the life I live.” Iron Lion Zion, Bob Marley
