The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Whether entertaining in your home, doing something fun in your community, or traveling the world, the fun and connections that you did or didn’t have in life are what you will remember on your deathbed. As Paul Tsongas reminded us from a quote taken from a note from his friend Arnold Zack upon learning Tsongas had cancer, “No one on his deathbed ever said, I wish I had spent more time on my business.”
Entertaining at Home
Holidays, birthdays, cookouts, baby showers, intimate dinners, movie screenings, Barbecues by the pool, garden parties, book clubs, Bible studies, Super Bowl parties—the list goes on and on… if well planned, they all have some things in common.
They bring together your loved ones in your home (that should reflect the authentic you), spotlight a favorite pastime, season, or celebration, and provide a venue for self-expression and gratitude by you and the others you have invited. These special events are the vessel from which connection and joy come alive in your home. As Barbara Hall deftly said, “That’s the secret of entertaining. You make guests feel welcome in your home. If you do that honestly, the rest takes care of itself.”
Finding Joy Out in the World
While home can be your source of solitude and your home base for entertaining with family and friends, many of us long to go into the world to experience all it has to offer. This travel and experience allow us to bring stories, gifts, and enlightenment back home to share with our loved ones. It also allows for the rejuvenation we sometimes need from our seemingly mundane routine.
Learning about other cultures and experiencing how people cook, follow their customs, and live their daily lives can be fascinating. For those of us whose travel and adventure plans were interrupted by COVID-19, and maybe life in general, let us revive our adventure goals. As Mark Twain said, twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did, so throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbor.”
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do the by the ones you did do, So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.”
-Mark Twain
Travel Inspiration
How can you revive your wishlist or create one if you haven’t already done so? In an article by Pratyasha Verma in Travel. Earth, there are eight things mentioned that you can do to achieve your travel goals:
- Take time out and inspire yourself.
- When planning, be specific and within your achievable resources
- Rejuvenate your daily life. Start with a meditation about those positive things you want to experience.
- Stay accountable while working on your travel goals. Keep a running list of your developing itinerary, your packing needs, and a roadmap of your journey.
- Make your plan a living document. Video and share yourself getting ready for the trip. From planning to packing to leaving for the airport, create excitement and share it with others.
- Rename your bucket list. Create excitement with a name such as “My Life List,” “Things to Achieve in the Next Five Years,” “Things Left to Conquer,” etc… Be creative and call it whatever inspires you.
- Find a place to store your bucket list. Studies show that people achieve higher levels of success when they document their goals. Create a scrapbook or post on social media to document and share your goals.
- Create some categories for your travel, such as an Adventure trip, Volunteering trip, Family trip, Creative trip, Food trip, Wildlife trip, Sports trip, Entertainment and Event trip, and Stay-cay trip.
The benefits of travel are immense. It’s scientifically proven that travel is good for your health, both physical and mental. In Lifestyle Foundations, we’ll explore these findings and various ways to add adventure and fun to your home life, your activities in your community, and your travels around the world.
