Our Experiences with Others Create Shared Stories from Different Perspectives
The irony is that so many of our shared stories aren't about the beauty and perfect experiences we've had, they're usually about the things that went wrong. Not always, of course. There are those magical moments we share with others, like the one Julia Shamis describes in this episode, those moments when everything is right and beautiful, and we share a vivid memory of something truly fantastic.
I've found the majority of the stories we share are the ones were something went wrong, we struggled, were generally uncomfortable or in pain, and we found a way out to live and explore another day.
That's what travel is all about, right? The adventure of getting there, via road trip hazards, flight delays and cancelations, train schedule issues, and then the adventure itself that always presents itself with something that goes not quite right.
The beauty of travel and exploration is what we learn about ourselves, how we choose to expose ourselves and our children to the world around us, and the humility and gratitude with which we experience that world.
That's what this episode is all about. Julia has had some amazing adventures and definitely knows how to share a good story. The theme we originally planned to discuss was simply travel and family travel, and how that impacts our priorities and relationships. But very quickly in our conversation I realized it wasn't just about travel, it was about taking risks and exploring the world around us, and what that does for us and our personal growth.
What traveling teaches us is how to be resourceful, and that we have a choice in how we react to obstacles and challenges. When we're traveling, we're really at the mercy of the people around us, the weather, and all kinds of things over which we have no control. But what we can control is our choice to see it as part of the adventure, and to make the best of whatever we're faced with. Because, as I mentioned before, these are the parts of your story that you're more likely to tell over and over again, laughing about it, learning from it, and embellishing it as you share it through the years.
Julia Shamis is a career coach and avid traveler. You can connect with her on LinkedIn to learn more, and be sure to listen to this great podcast episode to learn what she does, how she does it, and why she's so good at it.