I can still remember the feeling when I packed the last of my belongings into The Big Yellow storage facility I had rented. I felt a slight apprehension and nervousness but also a feeling of freedom, knowing that for the next 12 months I didn't have a care in the world, at least from a work perspective anyhow. 

1 - Money doesn't buy happiness

I knew this to be true before I quit the City as I was deeply unhappy. However, this was solidified very early on after arriving in India. Meeting people who we deem as poor, certainly from a financial sense at anyhow, have an abundance of joy and happiness in their lives, we as Westerners can rarely relate to. Connecting with their families and enjoying the things we often take for granted. Sitting down for meals together, respecting each other, and having ambition and aspirations beyond accumulating riches.

2 - I wasn't the person I thought I was

I am an Alpha male and I make no qualms about it. But looking back I realise that so much of it was a facade. We are impressionable beings and we often adhere to what we think is expected of us. That is certainly the case in the City. But throughout my journey, it became clear that there was a whole different side to me when I let my guard down. A part of me I really liked and wanted to explore without being judged. I was more caring, honest, and not as much of an extrovert as I thought I was.

3 - I am as extroverted as I thought I was

Whilst traveling I didn't need to impress anyone, close deals or worry about my performance which was totally alien to me. I experienced a sense of calmness I hadn't before. I can recall countless times when I took a back seat and let someone else take the lead for a change. It allowed me to read situations better, listen more and consider other peoples feelings which is something we often overlook when climbing the career ladder.

4 - We think we know better but we don't

Western society has a habit of sitting on their ivory throne, looking down their noses at the supposedly less advanced Eastern societies, believing we know better. The truth is we don't, and the older I get the more that becomes apparent. Yes, we have iPhones, cable TV, and fast food joints, but in the UK we rarely see families sit down to eat a meal together, discuss how their day has been, learn to cook or do similar things we often take for granted. The reality is we would be fucked if technology was taken away from us. Can you imagine a life without Spellcheck, calculators or Google?

5 - The memories of traveling last a lifetime

Unlike, designer clothes, fast cars, property and all the other material things we strive for. I can honestly say there is not a single day that goes past where I'm not reminded or influenced by my time spent traveling. Travelling has enhanced my day to day communication, made me a better leader, better in business, made me more compassionate, and the most significant thing is, its made me a much better person in all areas of my life. 

So my question to you is - what are you waiting for?