70. Rough Waters, Open Hearts: Travel, Vulnerability, & Breaking Down Assumptions

In this episode recorded from the town of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, I start off with a story about our rough 8 hour journey here to the remote Scottish Isles by ferry. To get here, we had to navigate violent seas and strong gales overnight into the heart of the waters of the North Sea.I share about how travel can transport us straight out of our comfort zones in so many ways and it is in those moments and experiences where the challenges occur that real changes in perspective and transformation can happen.Some of the biggest takeaways I illustrate and dive into are:Delayed trains and rough seas can be strangely good teachers.Travel can humble you because suddenly you become the outsider… who is more aware of the need to depend on others. The world becomes less frightening once it becomes personal.Empathy often grows the fastest in unfamiliar places.”Your trip can provide a means for you to replace assumptions with experiences One of the greatest souvenirs that traveling can ever provide you with is the gift of perspective.Closing Thoughts: Once you eat with people, struggle alongside people, rely on people, and laugh with people— connections are built and new pathways in our hearts connect with our minds… and we can be reminded that our shared humanity is far bigger than any ideology we might cling to.I think we can all agree that travel won’t magically solve hatred or prejudice. But as I’ve mentioned… it becomes much harder to fear people once you’ve shared weather, exhaustion, meals, confusion, and kindness with them. The world stops feeling foreign — and starts feeling human.PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.Email: [email protected] hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.