Life: Tourist, Traveler, or Pilgrim?

I hope you all found some time to recenter and turn off the workload of your daily roles for a while during the holiday season. If not over the past weeks, then at maybe you doing it in some regular cadence in your life. It is hard to resist the pull of the phone, the call of the laptop, the micro-burst of endorphins that comes from checking email…and all of those things run us down.?

One of my favorite teachers and personal influencers has been Rick Steves. His learning sessions, books, and videos have given me inspiration and encouragement. In a recent interview he was reflecting on his journey through life and what he has learned from travel. Something that struck me from his sharing was that when we explore, we can do it as tourists, travelers, or pilgrims. Each of these modes are all differentiated by our purpose and planned outcomes. ?

In the Quran, Mohammed said, “Don’t tell me how educated you are…tell me how much you have traveled.” He was talking about the power of pilgrimage. When we are tourists, we look to catch a picture, post to social media, focus on ourselves. When we journey as pilgrims (through countries or life) we can gain insights into the larger world outside of ourselves and draw them in to make ourselves more of who we hope to become. A pilgrimage occurs when we disconnect from our daily lives and travel to a sacred site (Which could be a walk in nature or a historical space). Pilgrimage can lead to personal growth, a renewed sense of purpose, and a deeper connection to yourself or larger community.

Yes, it is the New Year. I often fall into the trap of creating new goals and working on new things. This year I want to pause and think less about the things I do and focus more on the person I am. The Board and our larger leadership community are helping me gain insights into where I am now in my journey as a leader through formal feedback in my annual evaluation. My personal reflections tend to be more critical than affirming, I hope because I have a growth mindset and believe I can always become a better leader, friend, father, and citizen.

In the journey of 2025, I don’t want to be a tourist or a traveler. I want to be a pilgrim. As Rick Steves once said, “Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something is not to your liking, change your liking.” I believe slowing down, walking together, and sharing authentically creates an opportunity to change our innermost self. It is too easy to get stuck in a mindset based on our history and culture. At the end of this adventure we call life, my only goal is to be remembered by someone as a positive influence on their life.?

When we walk as pilgrims together, we can see the world around us differently because the thoughts we carry will change…if we are open to the opportunity.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2025!