When traveling we often search for the picture-perfect postcard experience: the best cafe, cutest neighborhood, most delicious delectable taste, the all-encompassing ingrained-in-our-memory-forever view. This pursuit of place is worthwhile and motivating. Our souls are fed with a happiness that lingers.
Sometimes these destinations feel hard to reach. We’re fatigued! Lifestyles have changed! Passion feels elusive. Yet even amidst challenges there’s always a peaceful place to visit! It’s Within… and Greater Than any one experience.
Whether at home or traveling how do you connect to your destination and its unique offering?
Here are Three Tips to Access Any Place:
- Create White Space
Just as Rome can’t be conquered in a day, we can’t connect to ourselves and a “destination” if there’s no space to pause. Downtime, even if just a few moments, allows us to notice our feelings, body and thoughts. In quiet we discern the truth. In the pause we relish an experience fully, big or small! The present moment gives us accurate information in real time!
2. Adopt Sensual
Utilize all of your senses to connect with a place: smell, taste, touch, listen, see. Whether happy or sad, take a breath and sort through the sensations. Let the sensual experience fully have its day. Rotate through each sense, for example, when walking down the quaint cobblestone street, looking at a view, or even in an airline seat heading out of town. The “place” will feel richer.
3. Begin with What’s Already Accessible
Ask yourself: “When do you find yourself most quiet?”. Perhaps it’s during the evening after a busy day and you’re starting to think about bedtime. Add in a ritual to accentuate the quiet such as enjoying a cup of tea on the couch, writing in a journal for five minutes, listing what you’re thankful for from the day. Sometimes the simplest of tasks amplify a moment reminding you about where you are right then.
The pursuit of place is most about connecting with the “good within” regardless of circumstance. Arriving at a destination means accessing ourselves wherever our travels take us.
