5 Ways to be a Better Human and Explorer: Part II
In Part One, I detailed the first batch of beliefs that guide my life. Developing this list, I made sure to include qualities that I not only wanted to see in myself, but in my friends and hopefully, with time, the rest of the world. Here, I break down the next five, detailing how to apply them to your global wanderings, as well as how to inspire your fellow planet dwellers.
1) Honour Your Word – Say what you mean, do what you say and mean what you do. In a world where backing out of business deals, rampant divorce and the acceptability of not keeping a promise are common place, honouring your word is more important than ever. If you make a promise to go exploring with someone, make it happen. If you say you'll volunteer your time, make yourself available. Keep a journal of the commitments you make to people – put an action by this date next to each of the commitments. Review daily or weekly to ensure you are honouring your word, as it contributes to spreading great vibes on Earth.
2) Spread Optimism – When you roll out of your tent every morning, jump-start your optimism by asking “how am I going to improve the world today?” Encountering so many negative messages throughout our modern everyday lives, it can be challenging to maintain a positive attitude throughout the day. Have you ever noticed how a smile, or simply offering to help can illuminate someone's face? This is a classic way to spread optimism throughout your adventures. Talking in a positive manner and flipping a negative situation around is a characteristic that will win you admirers and more importantly, make yourself feel great.
3) Break Barriers – We all comes across obstacles that the Universe places in our path. Many of these barriers are placed into our lives to test, challenge and sometimes break us. Life isn't always fair, but viewing challenges as a way to break down barriers will make you feel powerful. Learning the local language when travelling poses a challenge, but we all work hard to kick down that barrier that exists between you and the host culture. In the end, it doesn't matter whether the barrier is mental, physical, or spiritual because with time, effort and sacrifice, you can always break that barrier down and move onto becoming a better individual.
4) Embrace Change – Change is a constant in life. Change can often take a toll on our mental or physical health, putting us in bad moods or uprooting our deepest anxieties. You never really know when it's around the corner, but it can alter your path forever and completely transform your life. As the saying goes: "roll with the punches and it'll hurt a lot less". Despite our uncertainties about change, embracing it will make life so much easier. So when you are adventuring and something occurs to change your intended plan, just roll with it and see where it takes you.
5) Accept Everyone – This belief took me longer to integrate into my life than I care to admit. As you wander through life, adventuring the best of our stunning planet, you will encounter all kinds of people: rad people, mean people, rude people, kind people. The key is to accept everyone for who they are – everyone has a story to tell. Accepting someone without judgement creates a valuable human connection – the connection of kindness. I can almost always guarantee that when you accept someone for who they are, they will accept you. As you go through this week, make a habit of accepting everyone for who they are and don't dispel judgement until getting to know them. Walk a mile in their shoes, or better yet, go for a hike together!
Take some time over the next week to think about these five beliefs and how they are relevant to your life.
Written by Spencer Madden
Spencer is a THISWORLDEXISTS Brand Ambassador. He's currently living out of his car exploring the USA. You can see more of his inspiring adventures on Instagram: @mtobsession, or contact him directly on spencer@mountainobsession.com
