I heard this great metaphor today which I thought I’d share with you. It’s about the way we treat ourselves and a great reminder to be kind.
Imagine that you are about to go on a 5 day road trip with someone who’s recently been fired from their job. You really like this friend but right now you’re dreading this journey because you know it’s going to hard for her/him not to spend the whole time going over the pain of it all. This is your holiday and although you want to be supportive you’d also hoped to have a bit of fun!
Now imagine going on the same journey with a friend who’s feeling alive, frisky, joyous! You can’t wait because you know that this friend will bring a whole new dimension to things and above all make the holiday the fun ride you’d hoped for.
So often it’s the former friend we take along on our life’s journey. We put up listening to all our internal woes and anxieties when really we want to tap into that part of ourselves that is childlike, exuberant, excited and wise.
So we need to ask ourselves, ‘Which travelling companion do we choose?’
And …. shameless plug here …. if you’re interested in being with this joyous side of you more often, why not get in touch with him/her through my program, Future Self Now!
– With thanks to Abraham Hicks –
My Happiness Experiment 
Reblogged this on Sgiga007's Blog.
This post really made me realise just how much time and energy I give to that morose, negative, poor-me travelling companion. I’m on my own a lot at the moment, and without good friends to point out unhelpful patterns, it’s so easy to get stuck, and start to believe that those feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness are a true reflection of who I really am. So for me this post is all about the importance of real companions, too, who know me well enough to give me some perspective on my internal ravings, and help me rediscover that joyful, playful, positive person who is also me, but just doesn’t get a look-in half the time. Thanks, T.
Thanks Claire. I agree – it’s both isn’t it? Having both positive inner and physical companions makes a huge differenence.
Spot on T!!! Golly what an awful traveling companion I am with myself – no wonder I am exhausted at the end of the day!
Here’s to a new road trip . . . . .
Love Jo x
I’ve tended to travel a lot on my own – but then that is also what has led me to some of the greatest experiences I’ve had in my life, and that’s when I’ve most wanted someone to share them with. Who should I share them with though?
The irony is that I have often been disappointed with the actual travel companions I have had in life – even though I realise you are referring to seeing others’ states of being in the same way as different sides of oneself – and have come to the realisation that I ought to be happy with the experiences that I’ve had, without the need to share them, as it is question of being happy with oneself and one’s own experiences.
However I have learned from my independent (as in unaccompanied) travels that some of the wisdom I have heard from random strangers I’ve met along the way DOES deserve to be shared, as much as any small smidgeon of wisdom I may have come to acquire – and so I am now trying to write about those people and their amazingness, blogging about them in brief as I go….
I am not sure how this ties in with your happiness experiment, but it is the belief that the more great people I know and learn from – as well as simply experience things with – the happier I am. So the saying for me is: “There are no strangers – only friends I haven’t met”. Now if ONLY I could apply that philosophy to when I am not “‘independently’ travelling”…
Thanks Matt. I love the idea of your blog. There is indeed a lot of magic to be had in the company of strangers. Happy travelling! T.