Friday Forward - Travel Logs (#491)
For a holiday week, five stories featuring lessons from travel
Like many of you, I will be enjoying some travel and time off over the next week. I think it’s important to take time to unplug and share some of the lessons I have learned through travel and new experiences.
I hope you’ll have the opportunity to get out of your normal routine and spend time with friends or family this summer. Here are some stories to inspire you:
Two Trucks (#443): A lesson in the importance of intention and attention to detail from two food trucks I encountered on a remote island.
“As we got closer to Truck #2, it was clear that the owners had put considerable thought into making their truck convenient and inviting. Though the menu on the truck was in Portuguese, there was a QR code that translated the menu into several languages, and free Wi-Fi that could be used to access the translated versions. The truck was surrounded with plastic stools for people to sit while they ate, creating a friendly and communal atmosphere. Each person who ordered received a pager, allowing them to walk around and sightsee while waiting for their food and be informed remotely when their order was ready. And to top it all off, the food was delicious, served with a warm smile and obvious care.”
Dead Right (#372): What a harrowing experience on a ski trail taught me about the nuance of right and wrong.
“It's not surprising that most people want to be right. But I have often found people tend to prioritize being right even when doing so might be detrimental to them, as in the examples above. At the extreme, some people act in ways that might be harmful specifically to prove that have the right to do so.”
Humble Eggs (#330): An encounter at a hotel breakfast buffet unexpectedly leads to a realization about a dreaded social concept: the humble brag.
“As it turns out, humility and self-promotion don’t mix well. We are better off separating the two in our communications, especially on social media. If you want to highlight your accomplishments or abilities, just be upfront about it. Weaving the bragging in between moments of humility doesn’t fool anyone—if anything, it makes the humility ring false, rather than making the bragging sound softer. Plus, characteristics such as excellence and positivity resonate more with others when you show, rather than tell.”
Better or Worse (#188) & The Saddle (#189): Two consecutive posts reflecting on a biking accident my wife experienced on a trip, and two lessons from her resilient response.
“We all face situations where it’s tempting to believe that the entire situation is beyond our control. In reality, this is only half true. What happens initially may be beyond our control, but how we react to it is not. What’s more is that our reaction to situations is often far more important.”
Quote of The Week
“The world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine
Have a great weekend!
-Bob
robertglazer.com
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great reminders of how we do anything is how we do everything. I thought the Van Halen story to be quite interesting. The devil is in the details...