3 Lessons Traveling Taught Me About Life

As an American navigating through the Middle East, I'm in a somewhat unique position in terms of the recent tragedies across the world (IS/ISIS, ebola, cruel deaths). Being on this side of the world has thrown me closer to middle eastern politics by necessity and my heart cries out for the injustices executed back home and in nearby countries.

These recent tragedies forced me to take a step back and re-observe life from a different perspective. Usually I share my blog posts on FB but I'll let this one sit here quietly as a reminder for my future self. Without further adieu, here are 3 lessons traveling taught me about life:

1. Life is short
I unwillingly reflect and struggle with the concept of death every night: fear of my own death, impending deaths of my loved ones & deaths of loved ones already passed. In light of these recent events though I was slapped by a reminder of just how short life can be: 18 years for an unarmed black teenager, 63 years long for a depressed celebrity, 6 years cut short for a victim of terror.

While income, gender and race influence lifespan estimates, life is too short to hold grudges or be unhappy. We were all blessed and cursed to have experienced life and eventually it will be ripped away... all we can do is enjoy the ride.

Quote for this lesson: "Stop "tomorrowing" yourself to the end of your life"


2. Life is precious
Everyone you meet is facing a tough battle of some kind- yes, including privileged people. Why waste energy angrily trying to dictate how someone else should live their life? You do you, let them do them. You could be shocked by how little others' private decisions affect you.

Death- especially with all the recent worldwide tragedies- should serve more as a reminder to celebrate and enjoy life. We're all just trying to get by.   

"There are those who think that life is valueless because it comes to an end. They fail to see that the opposite argument might also be proposed: that if there were no end to life, life would have no value; that it is, in part, the ever-present danger of losing it which helps to bring home to us the value of life"


3. Life is what we make of it
Our media-obsessed generation tunes into daily tragedies from America to the Middle East and has become depressed as a result. Don't get stuck on depressing social media news stories! Get up, go outside and get involved with something positive you can do instead. Channel the negative energy into a positive outlet.

An hour per week at a soup kitchen... donating money to a charity... recycling clothes among friends... sharing excess items with the needy... it's not just about "be the change you wish to see in the world" but you quite literally are the change happening in the world. As much as we might like to deny it, every in/action you take shapes the future so don't let the feeling of hopelessness move you to behave powerlessly.

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change"
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them"