Jillian’s September 1 Post: Breathless Moments

The week before I was to give my first talk for Change Your Life Through Travel, my mom sent me a quote. "Life should not be measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

As I drove across the country, speaking with people about Change Your Life Through Travel in bookstores, retail outlets, coffee shops, diners, formal meetings and on park benches, whenever I shared that quote, I always saw at least one knowing nod in the audience, usually many.

A medical doctor has recently written a book on self-healing. He talks of happy memories as a path to healing. He suggests: find three. Write them on 3x5 cards. Note three favorite memories and why they were important to you.

Can you do this with your travel memories? What three favorite moments spring to mind over your lifetime of traveling anywhere? Maybe it was to the fishing hole with grandpa when you were a kid. Or your first family road trip: getting a window seat and a view out onto the world…Or a moment from a recent vacation. Maybe it was seeing a beautiful sunset. Or a glimpse of the Grand Canyon for the first time. Or watching a whale breach on the Baja coast.

You might want to review these moments at the end of the day, as you’re drifting off to sleep. Instead of counting sheep, count your happy memories! You’ll probably find a lot more than three breathless moments and, perhaps also, a more tranquil night’s sleep.