I have been wanting to write a piece on perception in regards to Thailand for some time, I am a big fan of psychology and how we all control our outlook on life.
I stole a quote I found online for this blog, the original used the word ‘world’ instead of ‘Thailand’ and was first coined by a W.B. Yeats. Now, my wife always tells me just to write about what I see in Thailand rather than have to analyze and dissect everything I see, but the truth is I cannot, I am fascinated.
All too easy we can choose to draw on the negativity of life, I see it every day in the posts we make on Thaivisa.com. If it is bad news then it is a good day for our page views on the website. Same can be said when the baht strengthens against our domestic currencies or immigration announces a tightening of policy for a foreigner entering the Kingdom. What do we all do, we moan and moan.
OK I know it can make things tougher for us but it doesn’t impact on our health and ultimately we are still in control of our destiny, where ever that may be? Our perceptions on how we handle life are what make us happy or sad, why not just embrace all that is great in Thailand and worry about the things we can change, rather than the things we cannot?
How much money we have in our pocket should not be the correlator to our happiness. One of my most magical moments in Thailand is when I am back in Pattaya and visit a small coffee shop, in fact you would describe it as more of a shack. It is nestled along Jomtien beach and coffee is 40 baht. They play Thai music very softly and the staff are simply wonderful. As I sit and enjoy my coffee, sometimes with my family, I just watch the world go by. It does not break the bank yet in offering a richness to my life it does so in the bucket loads.
“The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live.” Buddhism
We put too much pressure on ourselves and worry about things needlessly. Living in Thailand and surrounded by Thais and Buddhist thinking has taught me this.
I am currently investing in another new business venture of my own and it has meant my family and I have had to tighten our belts and watch what we spend. So rather than eat out every night we now cook indoors or eat at Thai food stalls, but I still love every moment I spend with my family and being in Thailand.
Thailand can be expensive but it can also be relatively cheap. It doesn’t cost money to spend a day at the beach or eat Thai food for example. Last time I checked no one was charging me to enjoy the almost daily sunshine warming my body too!
It all comes down to perception and we should always choose the positive. Thailand is not only a beautiful country to live in and discover, but we can also learn from the people and their approach to life.
Let Dan know where you need help and he will send you recommendations and help you get set up
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