What I've learned from traveling for 5 months. Part 2
This is part two of my blog series on what I’ve learned from my past 5 months of living Project:SoulFam - a year long vision quest to find out what it really means to live your highest purpose.
This journey has literally taken me around the world and back. I’ve slept on 30 different couches, homes, air mattresses, tents hotels and hostels - all donated or supported by people who believed in this mission and wanted to support it. I’ve been to 8 states in America and 6 countries. I’ve traveled by foot, bike, cars, plane and trains.
5. We all have so much to give!
I spent the last 18 weeks living out of one suitcase and one backpack. This could be a curse or a burden. I can’t count the number of times that I thought, “if only I had that ______ that I’ve left in Canada.” It’s mind boggling to think about all of the yoga pants, sweaters, accessories, purses… (I think you get it) that I left behind in Canada. I jumpstarted my journey by auctioning off all of my favorite books and raising $1200 for refugee relief.
If you are reading this, the truth is that you are wealthier than 90% of the world’s population. When we shift our focus away from ‘what new gadget do I need’ to ‘how can I help someone today’, we realize just how abundant we are. We all have time, energy, passion and enthusiasm that we can give.
6. Practice minimalism to make life more meaningful.
My good friend Amanda Hathorn of GetALifeAtSea.com is a huge advocate of minimalism and living with her for two weeks, we started the #MinsGame. The idea of this game, started by The Minimalists, is that everyday of the month you get rid of more things. Starting with the 1st, you get rid of 1 item. On the 2nd, you get rid of two items. On the 3rd, you get rid of three items. By the end of the month, you will have thrown out, donated or sold 500 items!
Even though everything I currently own fits into suitcase, I still had excess things to carry around. The beauty of this game is that it challenges you to stop accumulating and figure out what really makes you happy. However, minimalism is not just about throwing stuff out, it’s about keeping only the things that you light you up in your life. Freeing yourself from the excess and you’ll create more freedom in your mind.
7. Find people who help you grow.
Now for a big lesson in relationships. Over the last 18 weeks I stayed in the homes of over 15 families and couples and saw the insides of their homes. I learned a lot from seeing the differences between couples and how they interacted. I met couples that emanated deep, pure love and other couples that seemed like there were just living together to make ends meet. I’m seen being a relationship out of fear can end up creating a cage for yourself. It’s best to take time to grow yourself first then latching onto a partner and then getting divorced in a few years.
8. Money flows where good goes.
If you are doing something good in the world, there is no shortage of money or support for your efforts. You just have to start asking and start doing. From my free meditation workshops, to my refugee work, to my online content, I’ve seen that people want to give and support people who are doing good things. Even when I have things for sale, people will donate money instead of buying something. This shows me that they don’t even want a product. They just want to support a good soul. When you are doing things genuinely and transparently, people want to support you. We just have to be brave enough to be the first person and step up to ask
