How a trip to Italy can help you find a new perspective

This summer my family and I took a trip to the country of joy – Italy.  We picked Italy as our travel destination for various reasons.  One is the culture – there is nothing compared to the ancient historical sights you find in Rome or other historic places in Italy.  They say that “Many ways lead to Rome” and I hope that you will get the chance to travel there, too.  The city is breathtaking and offers you an unforgettable experience.  It was not only Rome that took our breath away.  We also drove further south and stayed in Pompeii and at the Amalfi coast.  Walking through the ancient city of Pompeii brought us close to the way the Romans used to live, and the hike up to mount Vesuvius let us feel superior – literally on top of the world!

Another good reason for traveling to Italy is simply the Italian lifestyle.  The Mediterranean way of living is lively and delightful.  People are in the street drinking, eating and talking until late at night.  Having late night dinners at a piazza in Rome while soaking up the Mediterranean lifestyle is simply fantastic and an experience you will remember forever.

Sorry, for getting carried away, but I am still very excited about this vacation.  I can assure you that I have not transformed into a travel agent and I don’t have any intention of selling Italy to you.  I simply want to tease you with the idea of spoiling yourself.  Traveling to Italy is just one way to pamper your soul by stepping into the footsteps of Venus for a little while.  I am asking you to give yourself permission to take a break from your daily life.  You surely recall somebody else having said this to you previously and you certainly have many good reasons why you cannot get away this summer.  I hear you, but my invitation to get away is based on more solid grounds than simply having fun.

Having a vacation is not pure luxury.  It is a journey to new insights and new experiences.  You are getting away from your daily life for a good reason.  With distance you will change the perspective of how you view your life.  Why do you think that one thing or the other is important?  A change of perspective widens your view and you will get the bigger picture.

We are often stuck within our small world with the result that we can’t see the big picture.  Small problems dominate our daily life, and we totally forget that the world is much bigger.  Take a little test.  Look closely at an object in front of you.  Get very close to it and describe what you see.  Then step back and look at the object again.  What happens?  Suddenly you don’t only see the object but everything that is around it.  Move away from the object even further and you will see an even bigger picture.  You still see the object, but the context is much bigger.  What seemed big has become small, what seemed irrelevant suddenly makes sense.  A change of perspective by getting a certain distance helps us to see more.  Once we see more, we understand more and we don’t get carried away by the little, bothersome bits and pieces.  Once we understand that we are just a small piece of the puzzle, we feel less pressure.  We basically do our part knowing that we are not alone on this mission.  Our seemingly big problem turns into just one little problem in the whole universe.

Of course, this topic invites a much deeper philosophical discussion.  At this point I just want you to get started taking a few first steps.  Widen your view of life by taking a vacation this summer.  It does not have to be a trip to Italy to find a new perspective (even though it is a really nice option!).  Just step back, take a break and you will be surprised about the big picture that appears.

Be a woman and act like one.  Please share your story.

About Hertha Wolff-Arend

I am a business coach and writer located in Paso Robles, California. I am the author of the book Be a woman and act like one. Succeeding in business and life’’ and I write a blog for women with the same title. I give motivational speeches and offer leadership and personality trainings to women. I also work with business owners and managers to support them in their leadership skills and personal development. As a strategic consultant, I also help companies with their communication and marketing strategy. Born and raised in Germany, I spent most of my adult life in Europe. I have a German university degree in languages and economics and I worked for many years in the advertising industry as one of the few female managing directors in Germany for major international advertising agencies such as Young&Rubicam, TBWA and Bates. My client list consisted of mainly blue chip clients, where I was responsible for their communications strategies and the development and execution of the advertising concepts. Just to name a few clients: Lufthansa, Danone, Kraft Foods, Bosch, Singapore Airlines, Ericsson, Campbells etc. In 2004 I relocated with my husband and son to California. I graduated from New Venture West in San Francisco as a Certified Integral Coach and started my own coaching practice in 2007. I am fluent in German and English and have conversational skills in Spanish. Aside from my dedication to work and family, I am a passionate dressage rider. I am devoted to supporting women in business, with a focus on women in the lower and middle management who are aiming at a career in the higher ranks or who want to develop their own business.
This entry was posted in Hertha Wolff-Arend, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to How a trip to Italy can help you find a new perspective

  1. Monica says:

    Molto buona l’inspirazione lei ha dato.

    Sorriso felice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>