Most people I know are incredibly talented, driven and ambitious. Many have reached the pinnacle of achievements or are almost getting there. There is an automatic drive to do something impactful to win our peers and community’s love and respect.

Our brains cannot deal with the modern world. In the old days, during the caveman times, all that was needed to be an outperformer was to provide food and security. It meant status and mating access. Over time, dynasties grew, and power shifted from the caves to the thrones. But the underlying drives did not change. There couldn’t be a city full of kings and queens. There were a few, but most of the people lived on the bottom of the pyramid. The hierarchal social structure influenced human instincts.

Today the same instinctive drives remain the same. A lot of people are achieving in multiple aspects of their lives. Our status and prestige tie into recognition from the masses. Suddenly, with the development of social media platforms, anyone can become influential. The opportunities are endless. This recent development is new territory for us. So we are driven to succeed and succeed big, and over time this can be exhausting.

We want to be at the top of the social hierarchy. It is the same in travel.

You can chase and chase and get exhausted. You can try to cover all the countries in the world. You can try to go to all seven continents. You can try to do more. The possibilities in travels are endless. If you want to be a travel influencer, you have to look beyond the adventures and focus more on the business side: engagement with followers, networking with other influencers and more. The game is on, and if you don’t play it well, there is always someone waiting to take your place. Or you can craft your path and travel for yourself to live your life.

My many experiences during my travels have taught me that you have to lead your life on your terms.

One of my role models is a German traveller called Gunther. At the age of fifty-four, along with his wife Christine, he drove around the world, in his Mercedes G Wagon, for almost twenty-six years. He started his journey in the 1980s, without internet and easy accessibility to information. He was not an Instagram star, nor was he looking for prestige and fame. He wanted to explore the world, and he quietly did, unlike today’s hyper marketing in social media.

He and many others I met on my travels are an inspiration for me, and I hope for you too. You can do the same and live life on your terms.

No matter what the outcome is.

No matter if you gain material assets or not.

No matter if you get accolades or not.

No matter if you get recognition or not.

No matter if you are popular or not.

You continue.

You ignore the noise around you.

You live life on your terms. It is the only way to feed your soul because, in the end, nothing else matters.