TRAVEL

May 30th, 2018

This episode references Episode 8  Tiny Steps and Leaps and Episode 42 Level-Up, if you want to understand these references, best to check them out first.

What a grandly touted activity. A symbol of status, and some might even kid themselves: a symbol of courage.

From Socrates to Seneca to present day, it’s been asked: why go travelling? You’re going to carry along the problems you wish to escape.

Our discontentment with our situation, life, even our self has very little to do with our surroundings or environment – though such can have a meaningful impact on us – it’s more important to see that everything has to do with our perspective.

The distance we wish to travel from who we currently are, should not be mistaken for a plane ride.

And since that long ago time of wisdom and lore, travel has only become easier. Exceedingly easy. And there's a problem with that...

The large leaps we need to make are often hyperbolized as giant far-flung adventures. 

As though the way to change is to quit our job, pack our bag and fling our life all over the world. Many people do this thinking that it will *automatically* result in that substantial change they crave but fear to face honestly. It might help, but expecting one's self and life to automatically Level-up is a fantasy.

Travelling is incredibly easy these days, and carrying one’s comfortable little bubble along for the ride isn’t just exceedingly easy, it’s an industry. ‘Resorts’ are little more than satellite versions of the comforts of home with a more compelling change of “desktop background picture”. Even the slightly more adventurous pretty much always have a facebook/Instagram/email/reddit teat to suck on, no matter where in the world you are.

The large leaps we need that are hyperbolized literally in movies with far flung adventures are recreated in only the most superficial Disney-land-ride ways when we go travelling.

Want to travel? Want some transformative experience? Throw a dart at a map of the world and then go to that place without using a motor of any kind, no plane, no car, no train, no motorcycle. That’ll be an adventure. That will pop a comfort bubble.

What is required for change is discomfort. First, foremost, and last.

The greater discomfort we willingly embrace, the greater probability that we will progress into the changes we wish to become.