“I wish I could travel the world like you.”
It was a comment left on a recent Facebook post, and admittedly, a comment I get often—but not one I like to receive.
It depresses me, more than anything, how powerless most Westerners feel over their own lives. Anything is possible, in modern Western society, and yet, there’s a widespread perception that nothing is.
I know you’ve got kids. And I know you’ve got a job. And I know you’ve got debt. And I know you’ve got responsibilities at home.
But you also have the ability to save. And plan. And start small. And say yes to your desires a little more every day. My best girlfriend Kyle, for example, just got to Chile after traveling through Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba and Mexico…with an 8-month-old baby in tow. Why?
Because she values new experiences more than she values comfort.
So when I hear, “I wish I could travel the world like you,” what I really hear is, “I wish I had different priorities.”
Because even the least fortunate have the good fortune of freedom.
And in that sense, wishing is inappropriate when doing is your privilege.