Beautiful inspirations found on the road... from Thailand and Malaysia #4

and shared with you, country by country
Previous episodes: on the road to Laos, Cambodia, Nepal

More than the magnificent landscapes or tourist spots, it is the people and projects I meet when travelling that appeal to me. That often pushes me to see things from a new perspective and inspires me. Here, I share with you these inspiring moments I have met along the way, little by little.

I hope it inspires you just as much, let's breathe and go!

I meet him thanks to the HelpX platform, this couple who will pass on a lot to me. They're going to teach me how to peel ginger with a spoonful and in kilos, how to brew beer based on this famous ingredient, how to sell it in markets during this little month spent with them.

But what I will remember most is their ability to feel gratitude for many things and express it. I've seen it in their relationships with others, in their everyday lives. And I especially felt it in the train when I got back to Kuala Lumpur, when I discovered a nice card in my bag.

They thanked me for my help, and underlined what they had loved while I was at home. What an emotional upheaval to see things written, formulated, expressed, even if the shared feeling was already there before - to have done things well and to have spent beautiful moments together.

Later in my journey, when I returned to spend a few days with them I did the same. And in the rest of my trip, I tried to do it more often. A paper folded in four folded in four hidden in a pocket, a small word scribbled in someone's notebook in his absence, say it... all formats are possible!

Ask yourself what you are thankful for and express it. Why not take advantage of this beginning of the new year to express your gratitude to others?

Say thank you, write it down.

Deconstructing one's beliefs to better rebuild oneself / genius people met by chance and a meditation retreat
Already in my previous trips to India and Vietnam, I had touched this idea with my finger, without being able to describe it or explain it concretely. Perhaps it is the duration of this journey, or the fact that you had time to digest the experiences?

Have you ever had this feeling of being small but uneasy, faced with a situation / a comment / someone... like something that we mentally reject without really doing it voluntarily?

I travel a lot. When I am confronted with different lifestyles, foreign opinions or things that seem absurd to me.

And little by little, we begin to wonder where it comes from, what is bothering us after all?
Then, through a few meetings and decisive experiences, we understand better. In fact, all this time I have been looking at the world and living my life through a prism. A prism built by my childhood, my experiences, but also the society, the norm conveyed, the standard of living of the country in which I was born. Which is good. Which is normal. Which is acceptable. Boxes to store in. A whole bunch of things you don't see anymore so much you fuse with that prism. Beliefs that limit our view of things until we pay attention.

It seems to be the basic operating mode of our brain, to allow us to evolve in a complex world. Either. But at the very least let's become aware of the prism through which we look at it and modify it. It's like LEGO bricks. Once you become aware of a belief, you can modify it - let's change the color of the brick - or remove it. You can also create new beliefs for yourself - let's add this one - and mix them to find the prism that suits you. The one through which you choose to look at life, and your life.