The Importance of Gratitude
You may have heard how important a continuous practice of gratitude can be. But have you truly experienced the benefits yourself? Whether you are dealing with morning traffic, a missed flight, or an underwhelming vacation – gratitude helps you to find joy in the moment and to look for the things that each experience is gifting you instead of taking away.
It is something we have put into practice for so many years and found it specially rewarding during our time traveling the world.
How Gratitude Makes our Travels Memorable
All the countries we travel to are unique. Whether it is their religion, cultural practices, or environment, each has something that makes it special. What we love is immersing ourselves in these differences and learning to appreciate them along the way. Below are a few of the many ways we have benefited from gratitude practices while traveling:
Cultural and lifestyle differences
View from coffee farm volunteering in Quindio, Colombia.
Appreciation for cultural and lifestyle differences, especially while volunteering, can be transformative. For example, when we volunteered at a coffee farm in Colombia. We fully immersed ourselves in their way of life for two weeks with a group of other volunteers. This meant waking up early to pick coffee beans, carrying bamboo uphill, learning to make traditional food to sell at the weekend market, and so much more. We also used an outdoor bathroom, took freezing cold showers, and slept in outdoor-style rooms, just as they do.
Bamboo moving day at coffee farm volunteering in Quindio, Colombia.
It was challenging at times, but it taught us to truly appreciate their way of life. By the end, we were so grateful to have experienced life differently, even if only for a short time.
Acknowledgements of Privilege
Acknowledging our privilege is important, as the lifestyle of a traveler and local are often very different. For example, we were lucky to be able to choose between a crowded 10-hour bus ride with locals in Sri Lanka (highly recommended for those who love adventure) or a quicker, private 4-hour car ride—an option many locals can’t afford. These experiences give us a glimpse of what it is like to live like them.
10 hour bus ride from Trincomalee to Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.
Similarly, acknowledging that while we relax on a beach while traveling, many vendors spend the day walking around making a living selling souvenirs. These moments remind us to stay humble and appreciative. Knowing how fortunate we are to have the freedom and ability to explore the world in this way.
Challenging Situations
First day hiking Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru.
Appreciating challenging situations and knowing how to deal with them has been incredibly important throughout our adventures. Whether it was missing our flight while at the airport (as highlighted in this blog post) or hiking the Salkantay Trek for five days to reach Machu Picchu. Each experience—though different—required us to use mental strength. During the hike, there were moments we both wondered, what the heck did we sign up for? “We are tired, it’s cold, and our only pair of shoes are soaking wet”.
First stunning stop on Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru.
Reminding ourselves that we “get to” do this instead of “got to“, allowed us to quickly ease back into appreciation. After all—though challenging, these were all experiences that came because of our decision to travel and we can choose to see them as a privilege rather than a burden.
Connection
Sunset view from the rooftop in Bali.
Moments of reflection and connection to self: Being grateful for every place we visited made our experiences there more meaningful. Taking a few moments each day to practice gratitude—whether in a crowded and hot hostel room in the Philippines, or on the rooftop of the Lost Creator House overlooking the sunset in Bali, it helped us to stay in the present. This conscious decision allowed us to see beauty where we otherwise would have missed it.
Selfie after our reflections night at Lost Creator House, Bali.
Connection with others: Some of our most meaningful moments came from sharing gratitude with our travel friends. Whether it was sharing what we were most thankful for while sitting in a sauna in Laos or diving into deep life reflections, filled with tears and laughter around a couch in Bali. The moments we focused on the positive aspects of life we felt the deepest connections with those around us.
Our experiences while traveling have been incredible, but have also been accompanied by challenges along the way. Those moments proved how beneficial having a solid gratitude practice is to dealing with stressful situations appropriately. We share more details on our blog post “How to Deal With Stressful Situations While Traveling”.
Why Gratitude Matters
Unforgettable views on the dunes in Huacachina, Peru.
We believe that the more you practice gratitude, the more life gives you to be grateful for. Time and time again, we have seen how the simple decision to focus on what is good, rather than what is bad opens us up to more of life’s beauty and possibilities.
In a world where we are all striving to be the greatest version of ourselves, it is important to acknowledge that gratitude is a bridge that helps us get there.
Don’t know where to start? Click here to download the Greaterful You Guide to Gratitude. A simple way to ease into gratitude, one day at a time.
Guide to Gratitude
Becoming a Greater version of yourself
@greaterfulyou
starts with a more Grateful you.
The simplest approach to gratitude is to focus on the present moment and be appreciative of it.
There is no right or wrong way as long as you are trying to focus on the feeling of appreciation. Here you will find a gratitude guide that was created for my (Thais’) clients at Greaterful You. It is a simple, yet effective way to help you reconnect with gratitude, one day at a time.
Click Here for the free Greaterful You Guide to Gratitude PDF!
We are excited for The Traveler In You to also become a Greaterful You!
Interested in mindset and strategy coaching with Thais? Click here for more information. Want to know more about the benefits of gratitude and how to make it a habit? Follow @greaterfulyou for inspiration and tips.
Disclaimer: All the information shared is based on our research and experiences. Please note that we are not travel consultants, tour guides, or financial advisors and are not held liable for any misinformation. We give suggestions, but advise each person to do their own research and make the decision that best suits them. This blog posts also contains affiliate links, by using the links we provide you are helping us at no additional cost to you. Photos on this page belong strictly to The Traveler In Us and are not allowed to be saved or used for any reason unless granted permission so by the owners.
