If I could teleport to my meetings and vacations, I would. As soon as science gets the kinks worked out of the process, I’m signing up for it. Life without traffic, lines and the hustle that comes with transit is a dream that I would love to see become reality.
While the utopia of idyllic travel is a beautiful one, it is probably far off. My goal is to maximize the potential in the moment and mine out it’s highest purpose in the present. Whether it’s a 15 minute commute or a 15 hour flight- whether it’s by plane, train or automobile- below are 5 tips to maximize the moment and transform your transit into the most beautiful, meaningful and elevated experience possible.
1. Gratitude Journal
I like to live a life of gratitude. I’ve been so successful at it that friends and family had no idea that I was enduring what some would call the most challenging battles of life. Most people that truly know me will tell you that I’m often found expressing thanks. The power of gratitude is so transformative to the mind, body, soul and spirit that researchers have linked it to better sleep, better relationships, stronger physical bodies, decreased stress and stronger mental health.
With all of these benefits, to name a few, investing time in writing what you’re thankful for is a way to transform travel. If you’re driving, try using the voice recorder on your mobile device to document your gratitude. If you’re dropping your kids off at school, use the commute time to play “The Gratitude Game”: take turns telling three things you’re thankful for until you arrive at your destination.
Being grateful doesn’t have to just be about the large things, but can consist of the little things in life. It can be something small like a friend buying coffee for you, or being allowed to merge during busy traffic. Gratitude for a colleague’s insight or for a friend’s listening ear is just a powerful as being thankful for an honor or award at your office. There’s something about saying “thank you”, whether audibly or in writing, that can transform the worst of times- or the most mundane of times- into the best of times.
2. Pray
Prayer journaling can be a way to empty yourself of the cares of life. It’s a way of letting go of things that are beyond your control and leaving them on the hands of God to handle for you.
In his book Prayer Is Good Medicine: How to Reap the Healing Benefits of Prayer (HarperCollins, 1997), physician and researcher Larry Dossey, M.D., found that praying for can make a marked, quantifiable and scientifically measurable difference in patients recovering from trauma or illness.
Since prayer is part of my daily life, it’s been easy to implement into my travel. If you find it a bit more challenging or if you are easily distracted when praying silently, try writing your prayers. Writing prayers has the ability to help keep you in the moment until you have fully emptied your self off your cares. It also help eliminate distractions that may come with praying silently. If you’re driving, the voice recorder on your mobile device can, again, be a handy tool. A great way to start prayer is by stating what you’re thankful for. Next, acknowledge what you are incapable of doing. Then state for what you desire to see. If a friend is sick, you’d pray for the friend to be made well. If you need a raise, pray for the raise.
I pray for my colleagues and their families. I pray that they have good days. I pray that their loads are lightened. I pray for our nation’s leaders. The list goes on and on. The more you start to pray, the more you can find to pray for.
Prayer is a great way to transform travel time into a portal of good for mankind. Don’t overthink it, be sincere and mine out the potential in the moment through prayer.
3. Set Goals
A long flight is a great place and time to set goals. With just a pen and notepad or computer or mobile device, you can brainstorm your way to clarity and a blueprint for the change you desire to see.
Write down different areas of your life where you’d like improvement. Take note of what you’d like to see, do or achieve. Detail your action steps and set a timeline to do it. Write the vision- make it plain! Using this time to reset the vision for your life will always be time well spent.
4. Reset Your with Music
In his book, The Hidden Messages in Water (Atria Books,2005), Japanese researcher, Dr. Masaru Emoto conducted a scientific study that detailed the effects of words on water. During his research, he found that words and music had the ability to impact the molecular structure of water.
The Wikipedia.com entry on Masaru Emoto described Emoto’s study as follows:
“Emoto made the claim that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually “pleasing” crystals being formed when that water was frozen and that negative intention would yield “ugly” frozen crystal formations. ” Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaru_Emoto
Since the human body is 65 percent to 75 percent water depending on health and fitness level, we have the ability to create the same change within us as the study had on water molecules in bottles, food and bodies of water. By thinking positive thoughts, speaking positive words and listening to beautiful music we can positively impact our state of being.
5. Rest
Rest is regeneration. Rest is also an achievement. Sadly, not everyone has the ability to achieve this state. In his article, “Why We Don’t ‘Get’ Rest” for Psychology Today, Matthew J. Edmund, M. D. wrote:
“…even such “passive” rest like sleep, you’re entirely rewiring your brain; creating new neural pathways and slowing down or ending others; learning; remembering; thinking out new responses to problems; remaking your athletic capabilities; renewing and remaking your bones and muscles, and rapidly growing new skin, far faster than when you’re awake.”
He also stated,
“You’re never doing “nothing.” Every second of your life you’re remaking yourself, even if you’re unconscious of the billions of new antibodies produced by your immune system…”
Beautifully said and profoundly true.
Take a moment. Take a pause. Take a nap. Rest, regenerate and renew. What some call doing nothing is a actually a key to a healthy and fulfilling life and excellent way to transform transit into a treasure chest of purpose.
Try these tips during your next time of travel to maximize the potential in the mundane moments of life.
-Venesulia
