Travel better through life with these tips.

Life, for most, is something to be controlled. We try to prune and structure it to ensure that it goes exactly the way we want it to. Cue the crammed calendars, annual goals, five-year-plans, long-term plans… the list goes on. All this certainly leads to a busy, bloated life but does spending large slices of our time attempting this help bring life fully under our control? And when one considers the big picture, does it lead to a fulfilling life?

Life can best be expressed as a journey. Every seasoned traveler knows that certain things come with the territory. The unexpected can make the best plans go astray. There are too many variables to consider and even the best-laid plans don’t happen exactly as we thought they would. Take the best road that suits your needs and keep going. There’s so much more to see and experience, even when things don’t go according to plan.

Keep your sense of wonder alive and burning especially when things don’t go right. Fretting isn’t going to help in the least. Instead, start enjoying the ‘unplanned’ part of your journey and get curious. Have fun. This too shall pass.

“If you enjoy living, it is not difficult to keep the sense of wonder.” – Ray Bradbury

Travel light, because carrying too much luggage slows you down. Don’t weigh yourself down with things you don’t need to carry. Every traveler takes a few hits. You’ll get your share as well. You can’t avoid losses but you can certainly pick yourself up faster if you travel with less baggage. Let go and leave whatever you don’t need by the roadside. Move on.

Never get so busy that you forget to live your life. Scheduling life by a calendar robs it of what gives you most joy: spontaneity. Freeing yourself of rigid schedules helps you understand how you have evolved and how you can make the best of the rest of your life. It will also help you recognize that life can’t be controlled however hard you try.

Above all, never forget to stop by the wayside to help fellow travelers. Going with the flow and helping others as you move through life makes for a lighter, brighter and genuinely fulfilling journey.

The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth. – Thích Nhất Hạnh