Broadening Your Horizons: How To Get Out And Experience The World To Change Your Perspective

Developing new values, opinions, and perspectives is part of the human journey and part of living life to the fullest. No matter who you are, there are lots of ways to get out into the world and learn things that will fundamentally change you as a person, hopefully for the better. Here are our top tips for broadening your horizons and gaining a whole new perspective on life.

  1. Travel. When it comes to broadening your horizons, traveling is one of the best ways to do it. Visiting new places will teach you so much about the world. And it will also teach you about yourself. If you travel alone especially, you’ll become much more independent and learn how to take care of yourself in ways that you never thought of before. Traveling to foreign countries and meeting people from different cultures is a particularly effective way to change your perspective. Experience as many different cultures as you can and learn about how and why they do things. It will change your whole life!
  2. Date different people. Dating different people can definitely help you to change your perspective. It’s okay to have a type and never date anyone outside of that criteria. But if you don’t date a range of people, you’ll miss out on a bunch of lessons. Try to get to know people from all walks of life. Allow them to share their stories. If broadening your horizons is your goal, this is vital. Even if you don’t agree with their perspective all the time, you’ll at least be aware that there are lots of different values and opinions out there.
  3. Read books. Read books to open your mind and encourages broadening your horizons. While traveling is the best way to experience the world, reading books allows you to travel without actually leaving your house. This is extremely helpful when it comes to broadening your horizons. You can learn so many things by absorbing information when you can’t be there to experience it for yourself. While non-fiction books can teach you about the world, don’t disregard fiction as a tool to change your perspective too. Even genres like fantasy can teach you about the human condition and summon an emotional response from you that can change how you see the world.
  4. Venture outside your comfort zone. Usually, broadening your horizons involves stepping outside of your comfort zone. When you leave that comfort zone, you have to learn new things. You experience new sensations, you learn how to deal with challenges, and you overcome your fears. This is another powerful way to change your perspective and learn about the world. You don’t have to push yourself to the point of terror. But just gently moving outside your comfort zone all the time can transform you as a person.
  5. Challenge your beliefs about your potential. Tiny Buddha recommends challenging your own self-limiting beliefs when they come up. Broadening your horizons is about giving yourself permission to do things you want and need to do. Don’t let that voice that tells you you’re not good enough hold you back. Instead, challenge self-sabotaging thoughts. While you can’t make them stop altogether, you don’t have to listen to them. Sometimes broadening your horizons is as simple as shifting your mindset.

More ways to go about broadening your horizons

  1. Write a bucket list. Take a little time to sit down and write a list of everything you want to do in life. Include the big things, like getting married or owning a company, as well as the small things like spending a Christmas at the beach. Keep this list in your mind as you go about your life. And look for opportunities to tick off everything you want to do. By holding yourself accountable to the bucket list, you’ll push yourself out of your comfort zone and get out into the world. Broadening your horizons isn’t the only thing you’ll get out of this!
  2. Talk to strangers. Other people often make great teachers. So whenever you have the opportunity, talk to strangers. Chat to all kinds of different people and really listen to them. You never know what you might find out. Talking to new people is also a great way to stumble upon unexpected opportunities. You might meet your next business partner or soulmate at the grocery store! You won’t just be broadening your horizons, you might even find a date!
  3. Learn a new skill. Learning a new skill is an effective way to open your mind and change your perspective. When you get lost in a new passion, it can also take you to surprising places. Once you develop a new hobby or skill, it can change your career and lifestyle, put you in the path of new people, and take you on a journey around the world.
  4. Find your purpose. Finding your purpose is one of the keys to living your life to the fullest. When you know what your purpose is, you’re likely to develop a new perspective that puts your purpose at the center of your goals and values. When you’re motivated to achieve your purpose, you tend to become a completely different person dedicated to their goals.
  5. Volunteer with a charity. If there’s one sure way to gain a new perspective and accomplish the task of broadening your horizons, it’s volunteering. This is particularly useful if you are stuck in a rut of feeling ungrateful. Opening yourself up to those less fortunate can help you to see how lucky you really are. Assisting other people can also boost your own sense of self-worth.
Vanessa Locampo is an Aussie writer who’s equally obsessed with YA fiction and pasta. Her time is divided between writing all the things, reading all the things, listening to Queen, and bopping her cat on the nose. She has a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and has written for sites including Hotsprings.co and Discovering Montana, and currently works as an editor at Glam. You can keep up with her on Instagram @vanessaellewrites.
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