Article written by Elsa Rodríguez (co -founder of remote peoples and project responsible)
Have you ever raised what is your purpose in life? It is probably one of those million million questions that we ask ourselves, or ask us, and in many cases we don't know how to answer. You can feel a very lucky person if you have it clear, because I would dare to say that the vast majority of the population lives without even asking this question.
During the last days of December, apart from eating more than we should (those of us who are lucky to live in the world of "private"), there are usually many moments of reflection. I have already told you several occasions that I ask myself many questions and it will not be less at the end of the year. Just last year at this time I was talking about passion in this article that I wrote: And you, do you put passion to life?
I told you that I have found my passion in pueblos remotos, which for me represents the sum of sustainable tourism, rural development and teleworking. But in reality, what I have realized is that this passion is what guides me towards my purpose, which goes far beyond what moves me and fills me.
Once you are clear what your passion is, what you have to consider is: What can I do to contribute positively to this world through my passion? And the answer to that question will be your purpose.
In search of your purpose
Maybe you have heard of the Japanese concept Ikigai and if you have not done it, I tell you, because it has a lot to do with what I want to explain below. Héctor García and Francesc Miralles in his book ¨Ikigai: Japan's secrets for a long and happy life¨, they describe it as follows:
Ikigai is a word that does not have an exact translation. Ikigai is the meaning of life or what makes you get up with illusion every day. According to the Japanese, we all house an Ikigai, or even several, inside us, although we still do not know.
They also explain that to help you live with more focus and find your ikigai, you must ask these four questions:
-
What do I like?
-
What am I good?
-
What does the world of me need?
-
Why can I charge?
The part where the answers converge is your ikigai. This diagram shows it very well, in addition, I love the author'siting . As you see everything goes from questions and knowing how to answer. In fact, the latter is usually the most complicated for the beliefs we have, the backpacks that we carry and what society imposes us.
In my case, I've been going around these questions for several years and building my way to carry out my purpose. I tell you a personal anecdote that happened to me this summer during the only week of vacation I took and it was precisely to make the Camino de Santiago. This time I chose the primitive road from O Cádavo to Santiago and fit it between a wedding in Pedraza and a few days in Galicia.
Despite being my fourth time doing the way, it was the first time I felt in peace with myself, that I enjoyed it to the fullest, that I did not need to ask myself questions with important changes. I realized that the previous three times I had done in moments of transition in my life: before I went to live in the US, when I decided that I asked me for an leave and I was Australia because I wanted to train in tourist sustainability and just during the covid When I was considering whether I wanted to undertake or not.
This time the road taught me that I am on the right track (never better), that I am where I want to be. That does not mean that every day they are fantastic and wonderful, it has nothing to do, I have my bad days and I stress as many. However, I am fine, I am happy with what I do, I am excited what we are building, I am happy to live how I live and try not to compare myself to anyone because everyone has their own path and their own purpose.
Living according to your purpose
This is not achieved overnight and is often a matter of proof and error. Today, after having stumbled several times and change their way as many, as I told you before, I think I found my place and what I really want. In fact, my purpose is very aligned with everything we encourage from pueblos remotos:
1. Demonstrate that there is another way to do tourism.
Tired of mass tourism that invades much of our territory, we want our participants to live authentic experiences and integrate into the local community through activities and challenges. The idea is that they can learn about the rural environment and their idiosyncrasy, in the hands of people who live and undertake in those places.
2. Give visibility to rural entrepreneurs. It is for them and for them for what we organize the experiences of carrying people who telework to rural environments. We want to give them voice and vote, that the world knows them through their projects and businesses. We select them because they are representative of the traditions of the place, because they are sustainable and especially because they are great people who defend doing things differently (just like us).
3. Create connections that last over time.
We refer above all to human connections, both between participants and local actors, and between both groups. It is about having an exchange of knowledge, experiences and experiences. Thus we explain this point when we talk about our values :
>
"We bet on" another way "to build, generate networks, connections and add people with people (H2H) as a new economic, social and labor paradigm. "
All this with the ultimate goal of contributing to the local community. We want to generate socio-economic impact through the co-creation of experiences together with local actors actively listening to what they need and want to do. As visitors of these rural environments where we operate, the minimum we must do is worry about the well -being of the local population, and of course, leave that place better than we find it because that means that we have contributed our grain of sand.
Cleaning of Lázaros Beach together with the local community during the edition of pueblos remotos Fuencaliente in June 2022
The important thing to live according to your purpose is that you are faithful to it. Every time you have to make a decision, ask yourself: Does this approach me or move me away from my purpose? Is it in line with what I want to get or will it take me on another way?
Purpose is to put into action what we are good, that we are passionate, that the world needs and also pay us for it. I know, it's not easy, but it's all a matter of getting to work.
Do you dare to start the New Year living with purpose?
