Getting out of your house and away from your normal routine is a great way to help shift your focus. It’s hard to worry about the dust under your bed when you’re looking up at a glistening waterfall seeing and hearing the power of the rushing water. The uncertainty of a pending sale disappears when you get lost in the beauty of an artistic masterpiece in a museum. A stack of laundry awaiting you in your utility room is quickly forgotten amidst the splendor of colorful autumn leaves. Spotting unexpected flowers growing from a log can absorb your attention, pulling your thoughts to the present moment away from any worry about something that may or may not happen.
The knowledge that a change of scenery can create a break in your thought patterns can be a useful tool when you’re feeling uncertain of your ability to make a big life change. Whenever you notice that your thoughts are circling around and around your fear of change, take a trip and refocus.
If you don’t have the time or money to plan and travel a long distance, recognize the treasures that are around you. Walk to a historic cemetery and photograph interesting memorials; go to a neighborhood park with swings and swing as high as you can; attend a free lecture at a nearby college on a subject about which you know nothing; visit a botanic garden or just walk through a local nursery and note which brightly colored flowers beckon.
Externally expanding your horizons on a regular basis will help you build the confidence to expand your internal horizons. Recognizing the unexpected beauty in your external surroundings can spark a recognition of the possibility that there may be unexpected beauty within yourself. Perhaps all you need in order to see it is a shift in focus.
Where you travel and what you do are not nearly as important as the opportunities created by doing something different, so allow yourself to get out there and have a great experience!