Tag: mindfulness training

Wherever you go, there you are, right? Sounds reasonable. After all, you are going, therefore you will find yourself there. Wherever that is.

Going to the supermarket? There you are. Going to Africa? There you are.

What if I said…. not so fast. Maybe you won’t find all of yourself there. Or you’ll find parts of yourself that you didn’t know existed.

People like to say that everything will be the same regardless of location. At least many people in my life have said that. I’ve been told that happiness is within and if you can’t be happy here, you won’t be happy anywhere.

Well, I am disputing that!

I haven’t attained enlightenment yet, so I am still working on finding the best way to maneuver through this life. And yes, I do know that happiness is ultimately within, but there are definitely some exterior circumstances affecting it.

This is what I have found.

Each location carries its own energy. It has its own frequency.

It is something we cannot see, but we have an awareness of it.

You have experienced vibrational energy when you think of times you entered a room full of people. Entering that room may have felt welcoming to you, because it was filled with happy people and positivity. It may have felt uptight, stressful and filled with nervous energy. It may have felt like there was a lot of anger and disappointment.

Whatever it was, you noticed. It affected you.

I use that example because each place on our planet carries its own type of energy based on local history, beliefs, way of life and the climate. Yes, the weather matters.

Compared to the US, Europeans, for example, have a completely different outlook on life, based on their history. That continent has experienced so much change and upheaval. It is like a really old person, who has had a long eventful life. That society has gone through being ruled by Kings and Emperors, Tyrants and modern day Politicians. It has gone through the Dark Ages, the Industrial Revolution, many, many wars, including WWI and WWII, famine, the Depression…….just to name a few. This past has affected the population, it is in their genes, their DNA. A child in Europe is born with that burden of his or her ancestors’ knowledge.

The people in Europe have a long past; hundreds, thousands of years. Going back to the Stone Age and further. It is all condensed and packed into that small continent. You can feel that.

Northern Europeans are generally more somber and intense. Customarily, they smile less and accept the difficulties of life more readily. They have their rules, manners and etiquette. They have their own type of humor, which is typically more sarcastic.

Southern Europeans have that history as well, but they have a warmer climate. Think of Italy, Spain and Greece for example. The energy there is distinctly different from the North. There is more laughter, dancing and an easier way of life layered on top of that somber, age old density of disappointment, pain and suffering.

The climate, as you see, plays a huge part in our lives.

When it is cold, we bundle up, huddle within ourselves and tensely focus on our outside chores to get them done quickly. We stick with what we know and don’t venture outside of that realm generally. The cold doesn’t invite an open, languid, leisurely way of life. Warmth and sunshine on the other hand, create a free, expansive environment. We like being outside, taking our time and being relaxed.

Each continent has its prevailing energy. Each country within that continent develops its own belief system and culture, which gives off its own variation of that energy. You can break that down again into states and counties even.

So, let’s say, you are from Minnesota and I am from Florida. Would you agree that we have a different outlook on life and therefore have our own distinctive spirit? If we each felt our very best in our home states, it’s reasonable to say that if you went to Florida, you might feel off and not totally yourself.

If your nature is open, sociable and active, you will probably feel really miserable in a place where people are closed, suspicious and keep to themselves.

I’ve talked to many people who took the risk to change their circumstances. People who didn’t do well where they were planted. They assumed that this was just the way it was. They had no idea that a change in location could change their lives.

One young man was a terrible student. He barely graduated High School, got into drugs and didn’t look forward to much. His days consisted of odd jobs and hanging out with like-minded buddies. Going to college was not a consideration. However, a few things occurred that caused him to explore a college in another state. He packed his beat up old jeep with a few belongings and moved. Today he is contemplating getting his PhD, is a spiritual, productive, active health nut and has tons of successful friends. He loves where he lives and knows this would not have happened in his place of origin.

An older Australian couple occasionally vacationed on an exotic island, while they were raising their kids. Life was a struggle, filled with somber, soul deadening jobs and chores. There was no lightness and even less laughter. As soon as the kids graduated and went out on their own, they left everything behind to move to that island. I met them surrounded by good friends in a room filled with laughter, anticipation and happiness. This couple had no idea how to make it financially. They sold their belongings and simply trusted that it would work out. It did!

A very successful American woman in her new location didn’t always experience life that way. She used to be married, was raising the kids while he worked and couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. All this while living in Europe. It should have been a dream come true. It wasn’t for her. She found herself at the end of her rope, packed up the kids and moved to the east coast of the US, which suited her so much better and she found her calling.

You probably know someone who took the chance to go somewhere else and it turned out to be the best move they made, because the energy in that new location suited their personality better.

This country has many different energies. The east is built on history, it is older, more set in its ways. It takes a while for a newcomer to be accepted. People typically keep to themselves and stick with the tried and true.

The west was settled by pioneers. Their very nature was curious, adventuresome, open, searching for a better life. It is still the place where most new thoughts and things originate; things that first appear unusual and weird are tried. Odd experiments are accepted and people connect more easily, because being open to new ways of doing things was essential in the pioneer days.

There isn’t really anything new in this universe, but that is another topic.

The point is: Location makes a difference! There are places on this planet that bring out our optimal personality. Places that actually make you more content and possibly happier. Your heart sings. Your life feels richer, more stimulating or peaceful, more joyful, which in turn makes you a more contributing, productive, loving member of society.

So don’t let anyone tell you, wherever you go, there you are. Explore for yourself! You might find you are not at all who you thought you were.