“Are you amazed to find that even with such extensive travel, to so many varied locales, you have not managed to shake off gloom and heaviness from your mind? As if that were a new experience! You must change the mind, not the venue.” — Seneca
Traveling can be wonderful, especially when it exposes us to the beauty and history of places we’ve never visited before. But don’t let the allure of “over there” blind you to the beauty that exists right here.
Happiness is happiness, regardless of where you decide to feel it. Contentment comes from what’s inside you, not from the stuff that’s around you.
The rocks and trees and water in those exotic locations are made of exactly the same stuff as the rocks and trees and water right here at home. If you aren’t already happy where you are, you probably won’t discover happiness anywhere else — regardless of how much you spend on the accommodations.
Socrates once listened as a friend complained about how he still felt miserable, in spite of vacationing in many beautiful, far-off places.
“How can you wonder your travels do you no good,” Socrates replied, “when you carry yourself around with you?”