How to Trust the Unknown: What Travel Teaches Us About Change
Quick answer: To trust the unknown, treat the next big change in your life like a trip you’re excited to take. We love traveling because it lets us step into the unknown and feel safe there. Remind yourself that you know how to do this, and that in the unknown you’ll discover more of yourself.
Why do we love traveling?
Why do we love traveling? How is traveling connected to the unknown? How do we take a leap of faith and trust the unknown?
I recorded the video on this page years ago while getting ready to travel to a workshop in Seattle. Packing my bags got me wondering: what is it about traveling that we all love so much? Why do we love going to places we’ve never visited, or returning to places we know well?
We’re in love with our cars, trains, airplanes, horses and boats. We see them as symbols of liberty, our way of reaching the unknown.
Is travel only about having fun?
Of course vacations are fun. They let us break out of the rut and forget our worries for a while. Yet I believe our love of travel and adventure goes deeper.
When we travel through time and space, we’re really traveling through consciousness. We expand and grow, and we come to know ourselves as if for the first time. We see how people live in different corners of the world. We gain new perspectives, and sometimes we come home feeling like different people.
Why is travel a safe way to explore the unknown?
Here’s the theory I share in the video. Travel has become a socially accepted way for us to dive into the unknown and to feel comfortable and safe there.
We prepare, of course. We book hotels and flights, most of the time. Yet so much of any trip is unknown, and we welcome that. We hold a romantic notion of adventure. We’re excited to explore.
Why do we fear the unknown in everyday life?
In daily life, most of us carry a general fear of the unknown. When we’re called to transform, to step up, to serve in a bigger way or to shine our light brightly, it can feel risky.
We hear that inner voice: “I don’t know if I have what it takes.” “I’ve never been this version of me.” “I’ve never done this before.”
The same person who happily boards a plane to a foreign city might stall at the thought of changing careers or starting something new.
How can travel help you trust the unknown?
The next time you face an unknown adventure in your life, remind yourself how much you love traveling. Think of the step ahead as something you already know how to do. You’ve done it many times before, every time you set off on a journey.
Bring the traveler’s mindset with you:
- Curiosity. Wonder what you’ll discover.
- Preparation without control. Plan what you can, then let the rest unfold.
- Openness. Welcome surprises as part of the adventure.
- Trust. Assume you’ll find your way, the way you always do in a new city.
What will you find in the unknown?
In the video I say that in the unknown “you will only discover one thing, more of yourself.” There truly is no greater adventure than that.
And I assure you of one thing: you will survive. You’ll come out of that moment of uncertainty feeling great about yourself and excited about life. You’ll fall in love with your life and with yourself all over again, just like you do when you travel.
What does a leap into the unknown look like?
An unknown adventure can take many forms. It might be a new job, a move to another city, a creative project you’ve dreamed about for years, or the decision to share your gifts with more people. It might simply be saying yes to an invitation that stretches you.
Each of these has the same shape as a journey. There’s a departure, a stretch of road you can’t fully see, and an arrival somewhere new. When you look at your leap this way, the uncertainty starts to feel like part of the adventure.
It also helps to remember that every place you love today was once unknown to you. The neighborhood you call home, your favorite café, the friends you treasure: each one began as a step into something unfamiliar. Your life is already full of proof that the unknown can become beloved.
A simple practice for your next leap
- Name the leap. What change are you facing?
- Recall a favorite trip. Remember the excitement of arriving somewhere new.
- Transfer the feeling. Imagine bringing that excitement to your current step.
- Plan one thing. Take one practical step, the way you’d book a ticket.
- Leave space for the unexpected. Let the rest surprise you.
- Write what you discover. Note what you learn about yourself along the way.
How does trust connect to manifesting?
Trusting the unknown is at the heart of manifesting. When you release a desire and let the universe choose how it arrives, you’re stepping into the unknown with faith. My Manifest Miracles program helps you build that trust step by step.
If your leap involves love or a relationship, Trust in a Relationship and the Unknown explores that side of trust.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on my theory. Why do you love traveling?
Frequently asked questions
How do I trust the unknown?
Approach change like a trip you’re excited to take. Prepare what you can, stay curious and remind yourself you’ll discover more of yourself.
Why do we love traveling?
Beyond fun, travel lets us expand our consciousness, gain new perspectives and feel safe exploring the unknown.
Why are we afraid of the unknown?
Change can feel risky, and we doubt whether we have what it takes. Travel shows that we can welcome uncertainty with excitement.
How can I take a leap of faith?
Name the change, recall the excitement of travel, take one practical step and leave space for the unexpected.
Ready to build trust in the unknown and create with confidence? Explore Manifest Miracles: mirakelley.com/manifest-miracles
I wish I had more tolerance for cold weather places, I’d do much more travel to cold places, maybe i died cold and alone in some other life?. I’d really like to see Russia, maybe one day!
Mira,
What a great video. I have often felt the newness that you describe when traveling. As a fellow hypnotherapist and intuitive, I have often been described as having my head in the clouds! (What this means is I get lost easily & have a poor sense of direction.) When I travel alone, I try to prepare well so that I know where to go, but usually my best asset is connecting with my guides and angels who somehow always help me to get where I need to go! LOL! This is how I must use the ‘trust’ that you spoke of!
An example is the time I flew to meet my husband in Vermont. I missed my connecting plane in Washington, DC. My guides told me to strike up a friendship with a cute young woman & then to go to the customer service counter with her. Amazingly, she had been promised in another town that if she missed this connection, they would take care of her & make sure she made it to her parents cabin by the Vermont lake before nightfall. The customer service employee looked surprised & said, “There are no more planes out tonight. Oh, you have a reservation on a different airlines at the other major airport in DC & here is a voucher for a taxi. You will make it there tonight!”
Of course I said, ” Me too if you can, as we will share the taxi!”
She was happy for the company and I bought her dinner and a beer while we waited! OH and she was an excellent tour guide on the taxi ride as we passed the capitol & such! Traveling alone always helps me connect with source! It is a necessity!
Thanks for your great positive soul and for sharing your inspiration!
Tammy, this is such a fun story! And so inspiring too! Thank you.
I love hearing your view on this! I agree traveling is a true journey of self exploration and discovery. We explore who we are by exploring other places. I travel almost every week for work and get to visit some very exotic places in this country and sometimes abroad. And on my time off from work, I get that same opportunity if I desire. I’ve been doing this for almost 4 years now and there’s been a shift. The excitement, wonder and joy I used to get from traveling weekly has mostly disappeared. I relish my time alone with myself, away from crowds in a rural, reclusive setting. This was shocking to me when this change first happened because my work requires me to be social and travel and that’s ultimately why I pursued this career. But I’ve embraced this change because I know I’m entering a very reclusive, new and deeply spiritual time of self exploration. I’ve cut back on my external traveling and take off more time from work than I used to so I can be alone and away from people. I’m lucky to have the flexibility to do so with my schedule. I’ve been off for 3 weeks and am off the next 2 weeks as well. During this time, I have been deeply entrenched in contemplation, thought, prayer, and self exploration. I have no desire to get on a plane and go anywhere or visit anyone, even though I can do so at no cost. I’ve had little desire for face to face contact with family, friends or other people. But just because I’m not externally traveling, doesn’t mean I’m still not internally traveling and growing. I believe all of this external traveling has made me more grounded and has made me value my personal time and connection with myself and God. So, when people who haven’t traveled much have the opportunity to travel and don’t take it, I think they’re missing an incredible opportunity to explore themselves internally through external sights, sounds, feelings and tastes. This thirst for constant external exploration may ultimately fade out and bring them to what they were originally looking for in the first place; a deeper more meaningful and potentially more private connection to themselves and their creator that wouldn’t have been possible had they never explored the external creations of wonder and beauty around them.
Hi Mira,
Thank you for your thoughts and theory on our love (and apprehension/fear?) of travel. I’ve had a wanderlust spirit in this lifetime/incarnation, traveling extensively for decades and even living in many parts of this country and the world. I think I’m over much of that “travel bug” now, however, passionately enjoying each day of being at home and working in my energy balancing bodywork career. This is clearly my purpose for being here, now and in other lifetimes, and there’s nothing I would rather do more than my WORK. Over the recent holiday season I missed three full weeks of client contact, most of it traveling, during a two month period. It just about killed me! Maybe this will change as time passes…..but I don’t see it. I guess if I could take my work with me on the road, as you often do, I’d look at it a bit differently. 🙂
Concerning our innate love of travel, I believe that we’re spiritually hard-wired for this…as above, so below. This subject came up during my first guided PLR last spring. (I think I sent you this transcript before the weekend seminar at Kripalu.) I was very interested in learning about my LBL activities, having read all three of Michael Newton’s books, and included this topic in my list of questions for the repressionist. My higher self revealed during the session that I (we) do this all the time on the other side of the veil. We travel regularly to distant planets and galaxies to study the beautiful diversity of lifeforms there. We take intergalactic vacations with our spiritual homies. We wander the cosmos together looking for fun and excitement. Is it any wonder that we enjoy doing that in this realm as well?
Just thought I’d share that fun PLR experience with you. I can’t wait to see you again! Please stop by and visit me for a complimentary energy balancing session (and lunch at the Wood River Inn) anytime you’re driving up to New England along Rt. 95. I’m just two miles off of Exit 2 in Rhode Island. The healing energies flowing through me these days are “off the charts” compared to last summer in the Berkshires. I’m in the process of writing a book about this and the unique type of bodywork that I do. Would you be interested in reviewing it?
Have a great trip to Seattle!
Much love and joy,
Mark
Hi Mark! It is so wonderful to hear from you! And I love what you are sharing. I know your book will carry the healing energies that are flowing through you and assist many people! I am sending you all my love!