Saturday, March 14, 2009

Of Work and Travel


I must admit that my work has taken its toll on my blog. It's not that I ran out of thoughts to post. It's because I am too tired to process everything. This pressure-packed, fast-paced career serves stress for breakfast, deadlines for lunch, "more things to do" for dinner and anxiety for dessert. Of course, this is an exaggerated description of my corporate life. I am just making an outrageous excuse for not posting regularly.

My blog is my refuge: it gives me back my sanity. I need to keep updating it.

My work is my way of life. Travel is very much a part of it and I love it.

In my weekly business trips to different places - by plane, by land and even by sea, I always ask myself: What have I learned? Was I able to make a difference to those I've met? What am I going to take home and share to others?

Travel is an excellent teacher. I am always a different person when I go home. Tired but not spent. Gaining pleasant experiences or otherwise, I always consider myself fortunate. So lucky to take with me the good ones; much luckier to leave behind the bad ones.

Next week, I will be in another place again. Meetings, field works, business reviews ...all in a day's work, but I would say this is no longer work but a way of living . I see it as another opportunity to touch people's lives, wake up their dormant potentials and show them the way to their dreams.

I guess I am becoming more of a leader than just a manager now. Maybe blogging has helped me discover this or maybe travel has made me this.

17 comments:

Lesley said...

Hi Ss, I envy you (in a nice way) being able to see all the places you visit and admire you for coping with such a busy schedule.

Do you have a favourite place of all that you've visited?

Anonymous said...

Travelling is such a liberating experience. And brave too.

Dan said...

Great post, SS. Yes, you are a leader...even as a blogger. Travel can be a blessing or a curse and you've chosen to be blessed by it. I suspect your travels have taught you more than you ever learned in school. Thanks for helping make us aware.

scarlethue said...

My boss travels a lot. He's gone for three weeks straight right now, only home on the weekends. I really don't know how he manages it- I'd go crazy.

He's said something to me a couple times about me eventually taking on some travel. I told him no more than 5 days a month. I worry about myself traveling... flying alone, renting a car, driving in a strange place, leading meetings alone... it's a lot for me. I guess you get used to it though, don't you? I'm such a homebody, though, I'm not comfortable committing to more than that. I would love to see some different parts of the country.

Mukund said...

This world is like a book, you have to go through each and every page to really enjoy it.... you seem to be doing just that
was just browsing through when I read this post...

Ron said...

We are very fortunate to have jobs that allow us to travel. And I can't agree with you more when you say travelling changes you and makes you a different person. I think it makes us a BETTER person as well. Thank you SS for taking the time to share with us. I always love reading your posts.

Lesley said...

Oooooo Ss, sorry to add to your load, but I've tagged you! See my last post. :)

Searching Soul said...

Lesley: I have seen a lot of beautiful places but my favorite of all is HOME. Next to that, I have a long list. As for the tagging, thanks a lot for choosing me.

Carol: Yes, it takes a lot of courage to travel especially during bad weather, when plane and ferry rides are bumpy. That's the thing I hate about it.

Dan: Thanks for your generous words. Yes, school was never enough in teaching me about living and leading.

Scarlethue: I too am a real homebody. I love to stay at home and snuggle with a good book or watch a nice movie. But when life led me to this, I got used to it and I valued home and staying at home even more. We can always have the best of both worlds.

Mukund: Thanks for dropping by. Yes, you are right, life is a book and we continue writing the pages as we live each day and that's the only way to enjoy it - go through each page.

Ron: Thanks for the kind words. I, too, love reading your posts. Blogging for me is never complete without reading your latest thoughts.

Anonymous said...

The only travelling I do these days is within my mind!
Thanks for your comment in my 'blog' Someone actually wrote pratically the same thing in a review of my Poetry: 'Her Poems are accessible to all, to see and a heart to love. Yet the simplicity is often deceptive: images provoke imagination, allegories suggest riddles that readers will unravel according to their own life experience'
I just hope people get something by reading what I have written.

Searching Soul said...

SarahA:

Imagination is limitless. That would be a lot of travellings. I love your poems.

chemist said...

Searching Soul:

In your response to Lesley, you said it all!! I agree! The best place I ever visit is also HOME-SWEET-HOME!! And let me add one more point: travel makes us appreciate what we often take for granted back home!

TravelingChemist

Searching Soul said...

TravelingChemist:

I totally agree with you, Chemist.

Glad to hear from you again and nice to know you're home again.

SUBHADIP said...

I must sat that you enjoy a charm life..it is really special that you get so many chances for travel..I envy you :)and you are amazing writer..one good think you create pictures and take us also to travel in your blog..wonderful and thanks for sharing..if you can please visit my blog added some new posts..

Annie Wicking said...

Good to know you are okay and are still with us.

best wishes always & keep on having fun.

Femin Susan said...

How awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed reading this post. Keep writing..

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Deboshree said...

Hey there searching soul,

I love the fact that even through your work you mainly try to make a positive difference in people's lives.That's really something and it's nice to hear that you can make sooo much more out of your job.
Keep up the good work
Regards
Deboshree