Summer Travelogue 3: When You Can’t Travel, Here’s A Trick.
In the last few weeks, I’ve had the fortune to play and splash in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, walked along the same trail that Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and the Spanish conquistadors took from 1541-1592, felt the heartbeat of Silicon Valley and watched my son’s joy whilst riding on a ferry to Georges Island off the Boston coastline
The thrill of seeing the world as it bustles and hums along. Nature, people, machines, lights, sounds and smells. These places and experiences may have the whiff of the new for me but for others it is their place of routines, the mundane and humdrum.
How is it that both can be true? How is it that something that makes us feel so alive and excited can turnaround within a few months or years and become too familiar, its charm oblivious to us?
This happens to all of us unintentionally as we go on automatic pilot, distracted by the 1001 things that we have to do to for food and shelter, to manage family life and work schedules, as we create healthy habits which become routine and strive to reach fitness goals. We run from one thing to the next, forgetting to notice the people, places and the newness within each moment and experience.
But we can switch that. Flip the button and see our surroundings, our families, and our friends with fresh eyes. How many walks could you take in your neighbourhood that you’ve never taken? What makes your part of the world interesting for others? Its history or culture? What do you notice?
Think to yourself, “what can I see with fresh eyes?” I try to always keep that question in mind as I go about my day. What’s new here? When I look at my husband or son? When I bump into friends at the supermarket, or whilst taking my puppies for a walk? I challenge myself to be awake to notice all the glory that is in my life.
Do you do this in your life? If not, do you think doing this practice could improve your experiences. Please share examples from your life in the comment section.