We just returned from two weeks in the lush emerald green island of Ireland. When we share stories of our travels, I’m still surprised at the number of people who react with a foreboding sense of “Oh, I could never do that.” Why not?
The harbor in Honfleur, France.
Now, there are a lot of reasons you can come up with not to travel, but honestly, most won’t hold water. In reality, it’s a choice. You can choose not to travel - and that’s fine. But I think you’ll also find that, with travel, your life can become significantly enriched - more meaningful and memorable.
So, if you want to travel on a path of enrichment, the question now becomes, “Where do you want to go?”
San Blas Islands, Panama
St. Augustine once wrote that “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Pretty wise for a man in the fourth century who didn’t even know what the world looked like.
Fall in Vermont.
Take a few moments to contemplate this question and then write down those places you’d like to visit. Make yourself a bucket list. Don’t worry about the practicality of each entry on your list. We’re not worried about that right now. Instead, include those places where you can imagine yourself truly awestruck and giddy with excitement. Places that will make you happy.
Mix up your list a bit. Include exotic foreign lands that excite you, but don’t forget those places that are close by. Even if it’s just a day-trip away.
Lao Tzu said that “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” That step may be right next door.
Creating a bucket list - like any list of goals - helps you remember “why” you do the things you do. Working every day is not the end-all in our lives. We work so that we can do other things. Those things that help enrich our lives and define who we are.
A bucket list provides us with motivation and a focus on our goals. But that’s only the first step. Surround yourself with people who are actively pursuing their own bucket list.
When you surround yourself with people who are positive and energetically pursuing their own goals, you’ll find that you too will gain energy and enthusiasm from them. This is called social contagion. When you do this, you are more likely to achieve the goals on your own bucket list.
Share Your Bucket List With Us
In the comments below, let us know what’s on your bucket list. Where do you want to go?
Don’t be shy. It can be exotic or someplace close by. It’s simply someplace that you’d like to visit. Someplace that excites or intrigues you. Let us know why too.
In the mean time… Happy Travels.
They said our boat was docked on the end. Thank goodness this was next to our boat