The holidays are a time for celebration and travel, and they are a time for sharing what we are most grateful for. Sometimes this means taking a step back from the lively festivities in order to reflect on what brings us joy so we can fully partake in meaningful experiences together. For some, stepping away can be especially challenging when there is so much going on. Keeping up with traditions and holiday obligations can quickly lead to social, emotional, and physical fatigue. Not to mention, when our wallets are stretched and we experience the pressures around material gifting, we can lose sight of what the holidays really mean. But occasions like these do not need to drain the battery, rather we can fill up our cups with meaningful experiences, great joy, and moments of deep connection and kinship without overextending ourselves and our financial situation.
If you are looking for a way to enrich your experiences, you may want to start by setting some clear intentions and boundaries before the festivities begin. This can be an intention to be more present, or it could even be setting the boundary that you will not overcommit yourself. Do you really need to prepare three side dishes? Even if it is in the car on the way to Aunt Ada’s ham supper, it is okay to take a moment to prepare yourself before you step into the merriment, while a simple practice of expressing gratitude will only deepen the shared time and experience further.
Deeper Connections and Meaningful Experiences Amidst Change
The holiday season is not only busy, but it includes an annual performance many of us take on to hold on to tradition. When the truth of it is that everything is subject to change. We see this with our growing children each year, or in “the breaking of tradition”. In more serious ways, we might experience the holidays without a loved one or during other unplanned hardship.
Knowing that everything is susceptible to change can be a freeing thought, while for others it might spur feelings of anxiety or deeper fears of losing something or running out of time. Regarding the natural properties of change, we may never feel exactly the same about our life, as we do at any given moment. With everything subject to constant flux, we end up deriving meaning from a range of circumstances, experiences, and environments. We are adaptive and intuitive like that, and these are important humanistic qualities to have. How we adjust to changing circumstances ultimately impacts how we find and practice gratitude in our daily lives.
The Link Between Travel and Gratitude
According to Pema Chondra, “When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid.” This is where we link our awareness and impermanence to gratitude, and what we can learn about gratitude from travel.
Some days we may feel as though our lives are full, and that we are rich in love, community, support, success, or even the abundance of things. While other days we may dwell in the hardships, the chaos, and what we lack. However, amidst the varying degrees of emotion and experience, there lies opportunities for the daily and reflective practice of gratitude, which can shape what we choose to believe in, how we respond to our changing reality, and how we interact and form bonds and relationships with others.
Travel, in turn, can provide a much needed perspective in our ever-evolving world and reality, which in itself can be grounding.
How We Derive Meaning
Our perspective, the way we view the world, is deeply influenced by our thoughts and beliefs. When we explore new environments, interact with new people, and learn about different cultures we broaden our perspective and understanding. We also learn how others connect ritual and tradition to belief.
Introspection plays a pivotal role in shaping and expanding our perception and perspective. As we explore the why’s and how’s of our experiences, we uncover the subtle biases and assumptions that color our worldview. Through this process, we not only gain a clearer understanding of ourselves, but we develop a more empathetic and open-minded outlook towards others, making meaning out of our experiences.
Introspection is the art of looking inward. It is a dive into the depths of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is through introspection that we unravel the intricacies of our own minds and hearts. By reflecting on our experiences, both positive and challenging, we gain valuable insights into our values, aspirations, and areas for growth. The introspective process, when coupled with gratitude, becomes a powerful catalyst for personal development.
Not unsurprisingly, gratitude and perspective also engage in a symbiotic dynamic, each influencing and reinforcing the other. When we cultivate gratitude, we naturally shift our point-of-view from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance. Challenges become opportunities for growth, and setbacks are viewed as stepping stones toward a brighter or different future. Adjusting our viewpoint, in turn, enhances our ability to find gratitude even in the face of adversity, in different situations, and other places.
Gratitude as a Ritual for Meaningful Experiences
Gratitude is more than just a fleeting feeling of thankfulness; it is a transformative force that has the potential to reshape our entire outlook on life.
Taking a moment each day to reflect on the things we’re grateful for cultivates a mindset of abundance, while experiencing other places and cultures provides us other perspectives and opportunities for gratitude outside our traditional settings. Whether it’s the warmth of the sun on our face, or a daily win, gratitude can range from simple joys for some, to more potent reminders and realities for others. Gratitude acts as a lens through which we can find the basic good amidst everything we experience.
When we think about meaningful experiences in context to the human experience, we can see where gratitude influences how we choose to find purpose and meaning–in what we do, and how respond to life changes. As we begin a regular reflective practice of gratitude, we rely on introspection and perspective to guide us toward appreciation for all the experiences and the successes, for all the challenges, setbacks, and detours–everything that has allowed us to become who we are, or has furnished us with the wisdom to become who we wish to be.
Acknowledging impermanence and the nature of change not only frees us from the constraints we perceive, but it also opens the door to a heightened capacity for love, care, and, ultimately, gratitude—a transformative agent that teaches us to embrace beauty in every possible moment.
