From Expectation to Exceptional Experience

From Expectation to Exceptional Experience:

Utilising Emotional Resilience During Travel

By Noelene Dawes

If you were to create a movie that exudes the emotion and experience of your travel experiences would the viewers encounter a story more akin to gliding in a gondola or riding a roller coaster? It matters little which one you prefer, but it does matter if you expect one and get the other!

From Expectation to Exceptional Experience:

Utilising Emotional Resilience During Travel

By Noelene Dawes

If you were to create a movie that exudes the emotion and experience of your travel experiences would the viewers encounter a story more akin to gliding in a gondola or riding a roller coaster? It matters little which one you prefer, but it does matter if you expect one and get the other!

If you are demanding the gondolier speed up and lose the other vessels in his wash, or complain the roller coaster is making you sick, then best you look at your expectations and how you are preparing yourself for the ride, especially if this happens over and over again!

Imagine if you could produce and direct a travel movie of the classic story variety as the rule rather than the exception? What would that do for you now? How would that make a difference to your future travel as well as the fond memories you have of the finished movie?

A favourite movie constantly re-runs as a memory for a variety of occasions. Your movie memory can be a rich reminder in a time of reflection, an uplifting reward in times of trouble and a powerful sample of a tried and true account worthy of replicating for your next production.

Deciphering the plot of you best and worst experiences is a good way to start. By re-running each as a movie in your mind you will get the real experience of how your expectations were met or not complete with emotions good and bad!

If you are the adventurous type, then you will enjoy the exhilaration. If you are a peace seeker, then you will be appreciating the solace. No matter the specific situation and resultant emotion it is, it's whether you are feeling emotionally resilient throughout that tells the real story, the story that relates you being satisfied with the ending.

Being emotionally resilient is about feeling strength in your core, a strength that comes from a calm place deep within. Having this strength you are most likely to set realistic expectations and be least rattled when things go awry. You know that whatever the situation you have a calm resolve that keeps you clear, alert and flexible as you remain in control.

The movie of your worst experience shows you reacting to the pressures that arise as your not so best self, causing you to expand the risks and as a result, perhaps even multiply the negative consequences. This movie is gripping, the stuff terrifying action movies are made of! Fear and fright, much of which is caused by the experience not meeting expectations!

The best experience movie shows you at your best, able to be the one who is in control and helps to nullify the risks and lead yourself and others through to a satisfying conclusion. Perhaps the story may have dilemmas and dire circumstance, but you move through like a modern day heroine.

It is useful to ask your self, what are the differing circumstances in the design of the two plots? In other words, what circumstances help you to be at your best, your most emotionally resilient self?

My sister is the best traveller I know, a specialist in producing and directing her own classic movie. She has an innate ability to clearly establish what she wants to achieve from her specific travel adventure, she does sufficient research to ensure she knows the territory, which enables her to be clear and confident when her movie is being created.

What she does magnificently is to prepare for all contingencies and in doing so, she is enjoying her experience before it even takes place. There are 3 elements to unpack... pardon the pun... from her successful travelogue, as is the case in every other successful venture I witness in my work.

Firstly, have a clear outcome. If you are not clear what you want to achieve through your experience, and what is important to you, then you find it difficult to make decisions in the moment when your travel moving is playing out.

Secondly, be aware of the environment, that which you are going into, the possible risks and how to ensure your planning and preparation averts these.

My sister says that "anything can and often will happen, so it helps to be prepared". Your best travel movie experience and your worst can inform you as to how you can be at your best to handle this.

A key element is your level of expectation! When you are in a foreign environment, be it next door or across the globe, if it is not your natural environment your expectations often won't meet reality.

When you are emotionally resilient you will handle the rigours of travel with ease. In addition to planning and forethought, do as much as you can to care for your brain and body through rest, nutrition, meditation, exercise or whatever helps you feel your best and live your best travel life, moving your expectation to exceptional experience!

Noelene Dawes specialises in leading people through the pressures of change to be more decisive, influential and achieve the results they desire.

For more information and free resources go to http://www.emotionalresilience.com.au/

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