You have to see it to believe it

You have to see it to believe it.

We’ve all heard this before.

But what if seeing isn’t always enough?

Recently, I took a family trip to Arizona.

We visited the Grand Canyon,

Horseshoe Bend,

Antelope Canyon,

Saw indigenous mountainside cave dwellings,

And hiked the Devil’s Bridge trail in Sedona.

I planned every stop in advance.

I watched videos, read blogs, and viewed photos online.

But ‘seeing’ these destinations online beforehand did each little justice.

With each stop, I was awestruck by the vastness.

The earthy scents.

The smoothness of the rocks and sand.

And the silence.

The in-person experience was a whole different level.

In the days that followed the trip, I soaked this in.

Our world is moving increasingly virtual…

Video chat with clients,

Remote work with colleagues,

And virtual conferences.

I’m a huge proponent of these technologies.

Each can boost productivity, save time, and reduce travel expenses.

But this trip reminds me of virtual’s shortcomings.

Seeing isn’t always enough.

Sometimes you need to feel it, to believe it.

Ask yourself, what in your life would benefit from a live experience?