Photo from U30X Explore Peru Machu Picchu
Hey Under30CEO,
Last week I went on a really cool podcast a lot of you have probably heard of called The Art of Charm. It’s iTunes #1 Self-Help and #1 Health podcast.
We talked about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone, seeking new perspectives, and how going on a journey really helps you develop as a person.
Jordan, the host, asked me both about my journey starting a company, and my journey traveling around the world for the last 2.5 years.
Why travel defines so many successful humans:
Travel teaches you to think on your feet.
One of my first trips, our driver got pulled over by some police looking for a bribe. I wasn’t fluent in Spanish at the time and I really didn’t know how to get us out of the situation.
Now I’m familiar with how the locals deal with this, how to speak the language, and areas of the country to avoid. This of course was how Cesar our Community Manager got his job teaching my Spanish and keeping me out of trouble 🙂
Humans are meant to be nomadic.
If you look at when humans used to live in their natural environment you’d see they loved to roam, hunt, look for food, and seek blood pumping adventure.
Being caged up in a tiny NYC apartment, in front of a computer for 14 hours a day, far away from my natural habitat, was taking a toll on my health and happiness. I decided it was time for me to roam free and start living location independent, and get in touch with my primal needs. (I write to you from Paris today)
Communicating abroad teaches valuable interpersonal skills.
Want to talk to a foreign girl (or guy) at a bar? You better try to pepper in a little bit of their native tongue, with whole lot of non-verbal communication.
They talk about dating a lot on The Art of Charm and we discuss how you need to be succinct with your communications in order to get people to trust you. I do a lot of business (and dating) in foreign territories, and you’ll realize that you have to establish trust quickly through the energy you are putting out if you are ever going to seal the deal.
Being taken out of your comfort zone teaches you to be patient.
Right now I’m being challenged. I’m living in Paris, and I’m struggling to adapt. I speak English and Spanish, but learning French and immersing myself into European culture is a whole new ball game for me.
I could easily choose to go home, or back to Costa Rica where I feel like I belong, but I’m learning how to be happy because of my internal circumstances, not because of my environment or anything outside of my locus of control.
Simply put, the more we get out of our comfort zones, the more prepared we will be to take on challenges at home and at work translating into a more successful foundation to build success upon.
