Has traveling ever opened your eyes to another way of living and/or inspired you to make a shift in your own lifestyle based on what you have experienced or observed abroad? Well, what I want to share with you is how the 2 weeks I spent in Europe this summer challenged my habits and the overall way I go about my days. Below is a list of observations I made as I traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and France in late June/early July. Along with these observations, I have also included five intentions I now have for myself.

Let me preface this list by saying one sweeping statement: the rat-race-cellphone-in-one-hand-starbucks-in-the-other lifestyle is not a uniform experience amongst the affluent countries in this world…there is another way!

My intentions are based on my life in Toronto, Ontario and that the differences I see between European life and my life may not mirror your own situation….or you might be nodding your head the entire time….we shall see.

#1: SLOW DOWN

In all the cities I visited, I experienced slow service in the restaurants.  Getting the bill at the end of the meal seemed monumental. At first I  was slightly annoyed by what I perceived as incompetency – the  remnants of our fajitas that sat in front of us for a good forty-five  minutes in Amsterdam (yes, fajitas in Amsterdam and they were  damn fine) and the time we sat at a little creperie in Belgium waiting  for service only to have the lady who was sitting a few tables away drinking coffee finally get up and take our order. I soon realized that the slow and easy pace of service mirrored their entire mindset about living life – savour life’s joys and pleasures! The meals are served at a slow pace because the Europeans want to dine at a slow pace. Here in North America the pace is much faster because we have trained restaurants that we want in and out FAST because we have numerous other thing we want to cram into our day or evening (that’s why my next intention is to do one thing at a time). Our restaurant service reflects our mindset about living life – GET ‘ER DONE. Yes, I, like many North Americans, can want a quick pace even when I’m enjoying myself! My intention is to slow down to enjoy life’s pleasures a bit more…why rush a good thing like a nice meal? Maybe for the simple reason that it always ends with me giving away my money.

#2: DO ONE THING AT A TIME

Europeans stop for everything. They stop for every meal and they stop for every drink. Let me be clear when I say they stop to drink. Yes, they sit and enjoy a glass of wine about 300 times more than we do, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be alcohol that they sit down to consume. When I was in Paris, I couldn’t believe how many people I saw sitting by themselves or with other people enjoying a coffee, sparkling water, or some kind of pop. They stop and sit down for a diet coke! Now granted, they will walk around with a can of beer in their hand time to time, but no one walks with a take-out coffee or some other beverage in their hand – if they are thirsty or need a caffeine fix, they sit down somewhere and drink it. This concept blew my mind and I realized how much I “batch tasks” – how often I eat my lunch dangerously close to the keyboard of my Macbook Pro so I don’t lose momentum on the presentation I’m preparing for next week. Most stores in Paris close for lunch and I can’t eat a few feet away from my bloody laptop? God love me and let it be my intention to have my lunch and then resume my work – how Parisian of me.

#3: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE MORE

I can so easily hibernate. I can so easily not engage in the many and varied things that living in downtown Toronto has to offer. I can so easily get into a rut of spending my leisure time at home watching golf. I’m not a house-bound hermit with agoraphobia or anything, but I’m certainly not out and about like the Europeans. These people (young and old) are extremely social and take part in playful activities way more than I do. Sure, I play rounds of golf in the summer and have my weekly curling league in the winter, but am I out there actively experiencing life like they do in Amsterdam or Paris? No. I’m not saying that I want to see my friends constantly or out doing something every day of the week, but when I was observing the active culture in Europe, (the dancing along the Seine that happens each night) I realized that I am stuck in a pattern of gaining energy through being at home more than I really want for myself. My intention is to be a little more active during my leisure time and gain energy above and beyond watching the latest PGA tournament on NBC.

#4: PLACE THE SAME IMPORTANCE ON PLAY/RELAXATION AS PRODUCTIVITY/ACCOMPLISHMENT

I talk about “work-play balance” as part of the programs I offer through my speaking/training business. Let me just say right now, that I still struggle with achieving a feeling of being balanced and let me just say right now that most Europeans would sit in one of my speeches or workshops and say, “um, duh?!!” There are no balance issues going on with the folks in Europe. Times of rest, relaxation, socializing, and leisure are given the same amount of air-time as times of productivity and accomplishment. BEING is just as noble of a state as DOING. The proof of this different perception they have about what creates a “successful life” is seen in their culture – the proof is seen in how they spend their days – with all the fun and sitting around that’s going on, they obviously have a belief system that allows them to lead a balanced life. It is my intention to be steadfast in my journey towards creating more space and time to BE because there are millions of Europeans doing it and they seem to be doing just fine.

#5: LOOSEN UP & MIND MY OWN BUSINESS

My time in Europe made me realize that I have greatly subscribed to the puritanical views that pervade North America. As I observed alcohol being consumed beyond the limits of a home or a bar patio (gasp!), people making out in public (PDA!!!), marijuana wafting in my face as I walked down the street (don’t worry, I didn’t inhale!), and the fact that no one blinks at anything they see walking by them (and there were some sights!), I realized that despite the good-time-gal exterior I like to present to the world, I am wound up pretty tight. I really got the sense that Europeans mind their own business and couldn’t give a hoot what other people are up to. I like to practice non-interference in my life, but I can still hear a “tsk tsk” go off in my head once in awhile or get ranting about stuff that is beyond my control. As spiritual author, Byron Katie, says, “stress is arguing with what is” and also teaches that there’s only 3 areas of business (our own, other people’s, and the universe’s) and being peaceful happens when we only concern ourselves with one of them (our own) and release our attachment from the other two. My intention is to mind my own business more and that will happen easier if Wilma loosens the bone in her hair.

So, there you have it – my observations of European culture and the intentions I have for myself based on the wonderful experience of traveling and seeing how other people live. I hope my list has given you an opportunity to see your lifestyle up against that of the Europeans and maybe you have a new intention for yourself now or maybe you just want to go to Europe which I highly recommend!

Big Love,

susan