Gratitude: The Secret of a Joyful Traveller

For a travel enthusiast like me, it’s very easy to fall into a trap of finding our joy in travelling.

It’s true travelling  really gives me joy but thinking that’s the only way to be joyful can be very dangerous.

I cannot afford to be travelling all the time right? Though sometimes I day dream of being a full time traveller, roaming the earth with my family exploring beaches, mountains, water falls and learning cultures and just being free of worries in life. I know that’s not gonna happen and I am not sure if I really want that. My point exactly is that if I will not be able to travel again (or not often) , will I still be joyful?

On the other hand, when you are travelling do u  feel really joyful? do u need to constantly plan trips just for you to have something to look forward? Or make sure you take all photos you need so you can look back and always accompanied by your fear of loosing out?

Honestly sometimes there are trips that I am excited but not really joyful. I’m more work oriented or stress making sure this trip will be perfect.

I believed I needed gratitude when I’m traveling and also when I’m not.

They said :

“The more you are grateful the more you will be joyful. Not the other way around.”

We all want to feel at home, to feel that we are in the place we are suppose to be and a place where we feel that we are enough.

Truly Gratefulness is a way home for me.Without gratitude, I feel miserable and negative and hopeless even I am in a very exotic trip with my favourite person.

Have your experience complaining, discouraged and down while in a vacation because things didn’t go your way? I have a lot of those!

Without gratitude I always want more. Always wishing a better life and a better place. More travels, better destination, the further the better.
Two weeks ago, I started this Gratefulness journey in my own life.

I would take and print one photo of the thing that I’m grateful for everyday. Ordinary moments that brings me joy.

It is exciting.

I bought a new photo printer!

The first one week was a bliss.
The second week was much harder.

You see these are the days that I’m not travelling, I’m in my normal routine and doing ordinary things.

There are days that I will put two pictures because there’s just too much things to be grateful for. But also I started to really think what are one thing that I’m grateful for a certain day that I am discouraged or a day that is not a good day at all.

It’s not easy.

It forces me to think and to look back on the positive things that happen to me and there will always be one or two.

Here are some of my grateful “ordinary” moments :
Saturday:

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

When we stop and realized how blessed we are in ordinary moments, our eyes will be opened on how beautiful our own lives really are.

We can be joyful , NOW.

Not just when we meet our goals and dreams in life or finally able to afford our dream trip or have the best house that we’ve always wanted. If we don’t embrace and appreciate our lives right now, it will pass by without us realizing it because our eyes is always fix on next thing that we thought that is better.

Gratefulness is the way home.
Gratefulness brings joy.

Me and Louie in Halong Bay

So if the not-so-ordinary things comes, how much more joyful you will be because you practice those gratitude muscles in your ordinary days:)

Be a joyful traveller by being more grateful.

Hope this is helpful!

Love, J

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