Traveling Stimulates Inner Growth

The Basics

What is it about travel that moves us towards change and improvement?

Perhaps it’s because as we explore, our eyes are opened to a more appealing lifestyle that we’d like to try for ourselves. Maybe we’ve been impacted by a new culture or religion that we’d like to get a plunge in.

Travel has a unique way of exposing us to experiences that create a mental shift within us that you just can’t find by any other means.

As we travel, we are constantly stepping outside of our comfort zones, pushing ourselves to live in the different, unique destinations we travel to. We return home feeling like a new and improved version of ourselves because we’ve experienced things that have enabled us to grow.

If we continue to seek out unfamiliar surroundings, meet new people, we will no doubt begin to notice a change within ourselves over time. An open mind will get you very far on your travels! It will help you remain receptive to change as you soak it all in effectively stimulating inner growth along the way.

About

Travel helps stimulate inner growth and here are 14 different ways you can let the travel bug teach you a thing or two not only about the world but about yourself.

1. Travel is the greatest teacher. It’s one thing to learn about a place through the devoted study of the best travel guides, maps, blogs, and other travel media, but best to go there and step on the ground of the place in person. 
2. Challenges start to look more like opportunities. Traveling is no easy task! The unfamiliar customs, language barriers, and stressful act of navigating public transport are all difficult to get used to in a new destination.
3. You experience a dramatic shift in perspective. Becoming detached from your comfort zone and leaving the little corner of the world you inhabit can be a very rich experience. You will quickly come to realize that your problems aren’t so bad compared to the issues other countries face daily.
4. You’re able to connect with yourself and others better. Traveling to a new country, especially if you’re traveling alone, can make you feel isolated and alone. That’s why it’s important to get out there and make connections with people, whether you’re looking for guidance or just need a travel companion to keep you company on your adventure.
5. “The people you meet create the paradise you find.” — Robin Esrock. Open yourself up to make friends while traveling! You never know what you’ll be invited to.  Chances are the people you meet will share a meaningful or unique experience with you and you’ll end up having the time of your life with some awesome memories. 
6. Travel cultivates a growth mindset. Some live their lives with a fixed mindset, meaning they never seek new learning experiences, and they are afraid of making any change or the success of others. On the other hand, if you moving towards living with a growth mindset, you believe your skills and intelligence grow with effort. With this mindset, you are always seeking new learning opportunities to broaden your talents, you embrace challenges, and see failure as a step towards improvement.
7. You improve your communication skills. If you strive to interact with locals and other travelers while you wander, you will end up developing better social skills.
8. Experiences are greater than things. Travel isn’t merely a thing, but a lifestyle shift that you open yourself up to, in order to receive some form of enlightenment. The more you travel, the more you’ll embrace the minimalist travel mindset. Essentially, you’ll realize what’s important to you and be better able to cut some things out of your life that doesn’t serve you.
9. You learn how to be more present. “Travel is like a good, challenging book: it demands presentness — the ability to live completely in the moment, absorbed in the words or vision of reality before you.” — Robert Kaplan
10. Adapting to change becomes easier. Traveling is about venturing into the great unknown. It helps get rid of any fears you may have of what you cannot control. This way you are better able to embrace the unfamiliar with an open mind.
11. You gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, values, religions, and ways of life. Our perspectives are widened when we travel, and this contributes greatly to our personal inner growth. When we see the good in the world we are more driven to do good ourselves. Becoming better individuals is a little but necessary step towards becoming better as a human race.
12. You develop more confidence and learn to embrace independence. You can do it! The more cool activities and meaningful experiences you check off your bucket list, the more power you’ll gain over your self-doubts.
13. Travel teaches you how to grow from adversity. Contrary to popular belief, travel isn’t always the beautiful, carefree experience we expect. This is why it’s important to be prepared for anything life may throw your way, so that when a challenge arises, you know how to turn it into a learning experience. Inner growth occurs when, despite being knocked down by the challenges we face, we choose to get back up again and progress.
14. You ditch your comfort zone and become a “yes man’’. Your comfort zone is that little voice that creates excuses for things you can’t or won’t do. The fact you go to travel itself means that you don’t mind stepping out of your comfort zone and everything else you did to see the world. You’d be surprised at how amazing and grateful you’ll feel after accomplishing something you never thought you would. It gives you room to grow, boosts your confidence, gives you courage, and gives you that strength to go and do more challenging things.