How Being a Traveler is like Breaking out of Jail
Obtain freedom by escaping from your everyday routines.
My all time favorite movie, "The Shawshank Redemption," based on Stephen Kings bestselling novel, focuses on how men can become free from escaping institutionalism.
In this movie Andy a man whose wrongfully accused of murdering his wife and her lover befriends Red, a man who knows how to get things. Red is immediately attracted to Andy's ability to remains calm, steady, and positive despite doing hard time.
So what does this have to do with our everyday lives and travelling? Well, in a way this applies to all of us. Our schools.. our work .. and our personal lives are controlled by routines and rules. And often they are so ingrained that we rarely stop to question them.
"These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."
Many people within our society have become institutionalized and are too afraid to step outside their comfort zones to reach for their dreams. They are afraid of failure, uncertainty and a whole host of 'what if's' that keep them trapped in mediocrity.
"It's my life. Don't you understand? IT'S MY LIFE!"
Andy decides to take matters into his own hands once the warden has refused to warrant him a parole meeting despite having enough evidence. He is courageous, taking responsibility for his life, which is something that many travelers who refuse to let life pass them by also do.
“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.”
Andy focuses on the wider world rather than succumbing to the grey, mediocre walls that he's trapped inside. By taking responsibility, teaching prisoners, and increasing the library, Andy is able to leave the prison a better place a better place than when he first arrived.
Resilient travellers also find ways to take responsibility and extend themselves while travelling, making a positive impact on their current relationships and environment.
"We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men."
Do you feel in control of your own life or do you feel like your under your bosses thumb? Controlled by people and circumstances around you. At times, it's hard to feel like your free especially when you feel stuck in a job or relationship that isn't going well. But recognizing that it is your choice whether to stay or go, helps you to realize that you are able to call the shots in your own life.
"Get busy living, or get busy dying."
Andy retains an immense desire to live, despite the shit that he goes through while in prison. He keeps his mind active and lives as much of a life as he can by reading books, working in the library, and keeping a keen interest in rocks for the best half of 30 years.
Resilient travelers realize that they have a choice to make today. They can either start living and take calculated risks to achieve what they want out of their lives, or they can limit their lives by letting negativity and fear hold them back.
"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."
These are Red's closing words. At first Red is afraid of the outside world which is so unfamiliar to the one he knew before he was locked away and he's afraid of his own freedom. Ultimately though Red decides that his desire for freedom and to see his friend Andy is greater than his fear, and he decides that there are some ventures that are definitely worth taking.
So, how has travelling increased your freedom. Are you more likely to go outside your comfort zone and take risks that you might not have initially taken before you went overseas? Perhaps your comfort zone has increased and you feel comfortable doing things that once made you feel uncomfortable. Are you more likely to own up and take responsibility for areas of your life, where once you were focused on following routines and rules? Or maybe because of negative experiences your less likely to go overseas.
Obtain freedom by escaping from your everyday routines.
My all time favorite movie, "The Shawshank Redemption," based on Stephen Kings bestselling novel, focuses on how men can become free from escaping institutionalism.
In this movie Andy a man whose wrongfully accused of murdering his wife and her lover befriends Red, a man who knows how to get things. Red is immediately attracted to Andy's ability to remains calm, steady, and positive despite doing hard time.
So what does this have to do with our everyday lives and travelling? Well, in a way this applies to all of us. Our schools.. our work .. and our personal lives are controlled by routines and rules. And often they are so ingrained that we rarely stop to question them.
"These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."
 |
| End the world of prisons by Luis Argerich. |
Many people within our society have become institutionalized and are too afraid to step outside their comfort zones to reach for their dreams. They are afraid of failure, uncertainty and a whole host of 'what if's' that keep them trapped in mediocrity.
"It's my life. Don't you understand? IT'S MY LIFE!"
Andy decides to take matters into his own hands once the warden has refused to warrant him a parole meeting despite having enough evidence. He is courageous, taking responsibility for his life, which is something that many travelers who refuse to let life pass them by also do.
“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.”
Andy focuses on the wider world rather than succumbing to the grey, mediocre walls that he's trapped inside. By taking responsibility, teaching prisoners, and increasing the library, Andy is able to leave the prison a better place a better place than when he first arrived.
Resilient travellers also find ways to take responsibility and extend themselves while travelling, making a positive impact on their current relationships and environment.
"We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men."
Do you feel in control of your own life or do you feel like your under your bosses thumb? Controlled by people and circumstances around you. At times, it's hard to feel like your free especially when you feel stuck in a job or relationship that isn't going well. But recognizing that it is your choice whether to stay or go, helps you to realize that you are able to call the shots in your own life.
"Get busy living, or get busy dying."
Andy retains an immense desire to live, despite the shit that he goes through while in prison. He keeps his mind active and lives as much of a life as he can by reading books, working in the library, and keeping a keen interest in rocks for the best half of 30 years.
Resilient travelers realize that they have a choice to make today. They can either start living and take calculated risks to achieve what they want out of their lives, or they can limit their lives by letting negativity and fear hold them back.
"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."
These are Red's closing words. At first Red is afraid of the outside world which is so unfamiliar to the one he knew before he was locked away and he's afraid of his own freedom. Ultimately though Red decides that his desire for freedom and to see his friend Andy is greater than his fear, and he decides that there are some ventures that are definitely worth taking.
So, how has travelling increased your freedom. Are you more likely to go outside your comfort zone and take risks that you might not have initially taken before you went overseas? Perhaps your comfort zone has increased and you feel comfortable doing things that once made you feel uncomfortable. Are you more likely to own up and take responsibility for areas of your life, where once you were focused on following routines and rules? Or maybe because of negative experiences your less likely to go overseas.
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