Why Study This Mantra...

You will learn how to appreciate your day-to-day struggles as part of the journey. You will kill that urge to be "waiting" for something, and instead, live your life as what it is – a fantastic journey!

Introduction 

Life is what's happening to you right now. What are you waiting for?

Enjoying your journey requires that you find everyday meaning and appreciation in your life. By now, you've written your own story (your "what"), you've identified your pledge (your "how"), and you know your values (your "why"). This combination serves as your north star as you go through the day! It's how you can live with intention.

Now synthesize that with with your Take Notice month, where you learned to live in the moment, and you have a recipe for Loving the Journey!

This month, you'll do just that. Live with intention + Live in the moment = Love the Journey.

 

Before you begin...

Before you start these practices and challenges, take a moment to rate yourself on this mantra. Give yourself a score from 1-10 (10 being the highest). 

Do this again at the end of a month of practices and challenges. How much have you grown?

 

The Practices

Daily Practices

As I put on my mantra this morning, I will remind myself of my "what" (my story) my "why" (my values), and my "how" (my pledge). I'll remind myself to be in the moment. Through these reminders, I'll be able to love this journey I'm on. I won't let myself "wait" until some life event or condition to start living life. Even in challenging moments, I'll foster a love for each moment.

Thanks to this approach, I won’t be afraid of the risk of not reaching my destination while on my journey. That's because I love this journey I'm on, and I'm not overly focused on any particular destination. Success or fail, I will be more fulfilled and happier, because I’m living with intention and in the moment.

 

Monthly Challenge

Go on an Actual Journey

Nothing speaks to loving the journey more than actual journeys. When you travel, you're forced outside your comfort zone, eating different foods, meeting different people, sometimes even speaking a different language. Stepping outside your comfort zone wakes you up and heightens your awareness of your life journey and how beautiful and amazing it is.

The challenge this month is to plan and/or go on a trip. It can be big or small – that's not the point. This is a Love the Journey trip. As long as it's somewhere you can be out of your element. (Don't go to that safe place where you've been before.) Go somewhere new and that's at least 10% uncomfortable. Somewhere devoid of the triggers of your habitual self.

Then enjoy yourself. Travel is an awakening, so wake up! And of course, take LOTS of pictures and post a few to social media. Tag us. We'd love to see!

If you're ready to take it to the next level, turn it into a pilgrimage. If you're religious, the destination might be obvious. If you're not, think about a place that speaks to your values on a spiritual level. If your values speak to you on a political level, maybe it's Washington D.C. If you love country music, maybe it's Nashville. Try to bring someone with you who shares your beliefs/values, and watch as the trip bonds you together!

Of course, it's likely you'll start planning this month for a trip that must be in the future. That's okay! Just revisit this when the time comes.

Happy Travels!

 

Travel Journal

Keeping a travel journal is an invaluable tool. First, it’s great for self reflection. Traveling is an awesome opportunity for reflection, because traveling takes us out of our comfort zone and exposes us to new ideas and ways of life. Journaling helps us be mindful of those.

Keeping a travel journal also helps us enjoy and savor those special moments, big and small. The smell of freshly baked bread or the saltwater air, the beauty of the architecture or nature, the flavors of dishes you’ve never had before...

Keeping a travel journal is also a way to realize just how much you accomplished. You’ll inspire yourself. These stories become the highlights in a life worth lived. Isn’t that worth writing down? And of course, it’s also a great way to capture, recollect, and share the stories that accompany some of your greatest life moments. 

Trust us, you won’t regret keeping a travel journal!

Of course, there’s nothing for you to journal about this month (unless you have a trip planned). But in the future, you may use your journal to capture your entries when the time comes.

We’ve provided some prompts below, but don’t feel confined to those! The beauty about travel journaling is there are no rules! Sometimes it’s nice to just pull out your journal and jot down a few ideas when you’re on a train or grabbing a quick bite. What are the sights, sounds, and smells around you? What little details do you really want to remember? 

Whatever you write down will be far better for you than pulling out your phone and scrolling your social media feed one more time. (One activity takes you out of the moment and the other pulls you deeper into it!) When you get back home from a trip, you may use these pages to reflect back on those feelings and keep them alive in your everyday journey. 

Happy travels!

(Optional) Travel Journal Prompts

• How did I see things differently while traveling?
• What little things did I notice? What things did I remember seeing, touching, smelling, or hearing?
• What everyday struggles did I appreciate because they were a part of my journey? What obstacles did I overcome on my journey toward my ultimate goal?
• What took me out of my comfort zone? Why? How did I feel?
• What was the most amazing thing I did today?
• What did I eat?
• Did I try something new?
• What cultural experience did I have?
• What did I learn about this new place?
• What books am I reading? Magazines?
• What music am I listening to?

 

The Reasoning

For a definitive look at this month's mantras and practices, including what philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and scientists throughout history have thought, taught, and advocated, click below.