I grew up in a very small town. Thinking that this was it – LIFE. I was happy. I had a big family and many of them were also located in that small town. Everyone knows your name, your story. It’s safe. I didn’t always dream of traveling and if I did, Florida or the standard all inclusive in Mexico were good for me. I never cared so much to learn about different cultures and people. I didn’t care to meet new people, I had my people.
Looking back it is such a small way of thinking. I don’t know when my life shifted but I think it was a combination of many trips and continuing to push myself to say yes to new experiences.
WOW has my life changed. I have friends around the world. I want to travel to learn new cultures, help countries and the less fortunate build their lives. I want to see it all and I want my daughter to see it all.
So much of my travel revolves around business but I don’t consider it business. I guess that’s the joy you receive when you love what you do. I love business. I love learning and growing. I grow the most when I travel. The combination sets my soul of fire!
I read an article recently that I just loved. Will Smith was being interviewed on his success & fame. Although I am not in the movie industry, the message really resonated with me.
Smith says that traveling to different parts of the world to meet new people and promote his movies is one of the main reasons he became so successful — but that wasn’t always his goal.
At first, he thought success just meant getting big in the U.S., but then Arnold Schwarzenegger came around. Well, actually Big Willy met Arny at the opening of a Planet Hollywood somewhere and Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone also happened to be there.
“OMG I got these three guys in the room,” Smith recalls thinking (can you blame him?). And then he said: “Okay, I want to be the biggest movie star in the world and I need you guys to tell me how to do it.”
Here’s what the ex-Governator said: “If your movie is only big in America, it doesn’t matter. You’ll be a movie star only when you are a movie star in every country in the world. You have to travel, you have to go meet the people.”
And so he did.
I look at travel so differently that I used to. Now when I travel, I get inspirited, meet new people, make new friends, opportunities seem to present themselves. It truly is incredible, life changing & invigorating AND I come back feeling just that.
How? Stay open, be really present and say YES to the opportunities that come your way.
Where have you been? Where are you going?? Get out there and see LIFE!
