“My mission in life is not to merely survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.”
Oh how I love this quote. It gives me goosebumps every time I read it. When I first heard this quote, it struck a nerve in me because for the longest time, all I felt like I was doing was surviving. I was struggling to get through every day. I had lost the will to even just get out of bed in the morning. This was a scary place to be in because it felt hopeless and mundane. Life had become something that I had to endure.
I rued my younger years of innocent bliss where I felt like there was so much that lie ahead of me. Instead, I felt like my life was predetermined; these were the cards I was dealt and I had to live with them. I was stuck.
I had lost my mission to thrive. I needed to change the way I saw the world.
I knew that life was short and that it shouldn’t be taken for granted, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, that message was shouting at me.
If you want to thrive in this world, you need to change the way that you see it.
Not add more stuff to your life. Not add more people to your life. Not add more money to your life. Not add more travel in your life. (Although I adore those luxuries!)
Experiencing adventure and thriving in this world starts with how you choose to see the world. When you choose a life of jet setting, the world will deliver a life of adventure back to you.
Here are some ways that I experience adventure when I’m not traveling....
Learn and grow from mistakes and setbacks
Find a mentor
Trust yourself
Start a memory box
Surround yourself with positive people (like The Jet Set Society!)
Create a scrapbook
Hit the town with your girlfriends
Have a cocktail in a jazz bar
Learn a new hobby
Try something new in the bedroom
Create beautiful spaces
Eat what you want without guilt
Embrace uncertainty
Practice learning a new language (sign language counts too!)
Try a wine tasting class
Do some gardening
Write a letter to a friend
Download a new Spotify playlist
Put on your heels and take a salsa class
Join a book club (or start one!)
Go to an art gallery
Listen to podcast (subscribe to The Jet Set Life Podcast!)
See a foreign film
Make plans that excite you
Go out on a date with yourself
Be playful and whimsical
Build something (like furniture or a hammock)
Take responsibility for your own joy
Listen to an inspirational TED Talk
Volunteer
Ask yourself how you can make your day exciting and fun
Look at life with the excitement of a kid
Try an accessory you wouldn’t normally wear
Kiss in the rain
Celebrate the small wins
Exercise regularly
Have a secret
Discover your signature scent
Dance (especially when you’re doing chores!)
Take a self-care day and pamper yourself
Follow your intuition
Let life unfold; don’t resist change
Create a fresh flower arrangement
Try a new hair style
Do something kind for someone else
Go to a local music, food or wine festival
Read your Jet Set Life Manifesto every morning
Drink your water from a wine glass - you’ll feel fancy!
Throw a themed party
Make a hometown bucket list and start checking items off
Invest in your professional and personal development
Plan your next trip or micro-vacation
Meditate
Take a different route on your commute home
Be specific about your dreams and goals
Go to a drive-in movie theater
Host a dinner party
Have a picnic
Love your body
Value your belongings with pride
Be open to new opportunities
Stop comparing yourself to others
Sing (or hum!)
Flirt
Pick fruit at a farm
Have breakfast for dinner
Smile!
Take a digital hiatus
Play with a puppy
Explore the world of essential oils
Go camping under the stars
See the sunrise and the sunset in the same day
Introduce yourself to a stranger at a party
Write in your journal
Have afternoon tea (British style!)
Become certified in something
Read a great novel
Laugh!
Go skinny dipping
Be present
Do something that makes you happy every day
Practice gratitude
Fully feel all emotions that pass through you
Cook a cultural meal from another country that you’ve never tried before
Simplify (maybe start with your closet!)
Paint (Need inspiration? Listen to a song and paint what you feel.)
Start a quote book
Create a vision board
Connect with someone new
Slow down and savor your food
Explore the outdoors
Avoid things and people that drain your energy
Follow through with the promises you make to yourself
Get a physic reading from a tarot card reader
Start a side hustle
Don’t try to do everything at once
See the beauty in all things
Wake up every morning and envision your day
What else would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
Cheers from the high skies,
author bio
Known as The Jet Set Blonde, Brittany Ryan inspires others to add more adventure to their childfree travel experiences. Brittany has visited 23 countries (and counting!) Connect with her to get access to detailed childfree travel itineraries, travel guides for weekend getaways, and updates on adult-only hotels, resorts, cruises, and other travel amenities.
