The Explorer’s Heart: Expanding Who You Are Through Experience
Some of the most important growth doesn’t come from planning—it comes from exploring. Not just physical places, but ideas. New perspectives. Parts of yourself you haven’t met yet.
There’s a version of you that exists on the other side of trying something new—a version shaped by experience, depth, and the courage to step outside the familiar. But you don’t get there by staying in the comfort zone. You get there by being curious.
If you’re lucky, opportunities find you. If you’re smart, you take advantage of them. I’ve talked before about morning pages—the practice of writing each morning before you start your day to dump the contents of your mind onto the page. It’s one way to explore yourself. To sort through the good, the bad, and the messy. Not to judge it, but to evaluate. To ask: What’s next?
It’s easy to keep your world small. To stick with what’s known, even if it no longer lights you up. But when we stretch ourselves—when we follow that tug toward something unfamiliar—we begin to change and grow. We start to see ourselves more clearly. We discover what excites us, what challenges us, and what truly feels like home.
Maybe you already know where “home” is, and you prefer comfort. That’s a beautiful thing and you are very fortunate. But I would still urge you to explore. Step outside for a while and return with more wisdom, more richness, more perspective. Travel—even simple travel—changes us. Experiencing different communities, cultures, and ways of life will leave a lasting mark. Even just a change of scenery can shift how you see your own world.
Especially in the United States, we are uniquely positioned to grow our perspective. We’re a nation of immigrants—people and cultures from every corner of the earth, brought together in a land that ranges from tropical beaches to snow capped mountains to smoldering deserts. Even with just a car and a tank of gas, the opportunity to grow is within reach.
No money for travel right now? That’s okay—we can work around it. Could you start saving, even a little, for a future trip? In the meantime, explore a nearby trail you’ve never visited. Take a free online class on something totally unrelated to your job. Watch a documentary or listen to a podcast from someone with a different worldview. We live in a time when the world is at our fingertips—what are you waiting for?
Exploration doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t have to quit your job or move to another country (unless you want to). Sometimes, it starts with reading a new book, having a conversation with someone who sees the world differently, or trying something creative just because you’re curious. It may not feel life-changing in the moment—but over time, these small expansions add up. They shape your perspective. They deepen your self-awareness. They grow your thinking.
The world has so much to offer if you’re willing to engage with it—to not just pass through life, but to learn from it.
We’re meant to evolve. To go on journeys—inside and out—that teach us who we are and what matters most.
And if you’ve been feeling stagnant, uninspired, or unsure of your direction, maybe what you need isn’t a plan.
Maybe you just need to explore.
Recently, I painted a sea turtle using mixed media—collage, maps, and manuscripts layered into the paint. I imagined this beautiful creature navigating its long journey across thousands of miles, collecting pieces of the world as it went—embedded in its shell like memories. Small fragments of experience carried forward through every wave and current.
If this message resonates with you, you can find a print of the painting it inspired in my shop. The original has sold, but the story—and the invitation to grow through experience—lives on.
