This week has been genuinely hectic, so let’s talk about something lighter: vacation.
Personally, I’m someone who loves traveling — so much so that I’ve managed to accumulate a certain brand’s global traveler status purely through leisure trips. That might sound a bit indulgent, but after all these years of exploring the world, I’ve come to realize just how much I’ve gained from it.
Because there are certain ways of seeing that simply cannot be unlocked through screens or photographs. Only by being there in person can you truly acquire them.
Think about someone who grows up moving only between home and school — then spends their adult life moving only between home and work. That kind of life makes it remarkably easy to fall into a double rigidity: rigid in thinking, and rigid in perception.
The result shows up everywhere — in their career, in how they choose a partner, in how they approach life itself. Everything becomes narrow, conventional, and slow to awaken.
But the moment you truly set out and see the world for yourself, you start to understand: even within the same country, people live in ways that are vastly different from one another.
The people of Sichuan and Chengdu carry an easy joy — they are masters of savoring life. Northeasterners are broad-spirited and carefree, unbothered by small details. Southerners are pragmatic, meticulous, and quietly devoted to refinement. These are things you can only truly understand once you’ve broadened your own horizons.
And only after understanding these differences can you begin borrowing what works from others and weaving it into your own life.
This is why I’ve always encouraged everyone — when you’re facing hardship or feeling stuck — to push yourself to expand your social world and your travel boundaries. This, more than almost anything else, is a shortcut to restoring your vitality.
When the circumstances around you are difficult, keep your mind on the open road. When your mind itself is the thing that’s stuck, put your body on the road instead.