You know that feeling when you just can’t get away from yourself? No matter where you travel or what new experiences you try, your thoughts and feelings always seem to follow.
The phrase “Wherever you go, there you are” is a reminder that no matter what situation you’re in or what problems you’re dealing with, you can’t escape yourself. No matter how far you roam, your inner world is always along for the ride.
The Origin
This popular saying originates from a book of the same name by Jon Kabat-Zinn published in 1994. In the book, Kabat-Zinn explores the idea that no matter where you physically go or what situation you’re in, you’re always stuck with yourself and your mental habits.
Your Mind Follows You Everywhere
Your tendencies, habits, emotional baggage, and ways of thinking follow you wherever you go. You could be relaxing on a tropical beach with crystal clear water as far as the eye can see. But it doesn’t matter how beautiful the scenery is – your habits, worries, anxieties, they’re all still tagging along inside your head.
Same thing if we’re stuck in the middle of a busy work day. Deadlines piling up and meetings back to back, yet your usual patterns of thinking won’t leave you alone. You can’t escape your emotional baggage even in the middle of the hustle and bustle.
And God forbid you get stuck in traffic. Horns honking all around with no end in sight. Well, you better believe your mindset will still be riding shotgun next to you. Your tendencies, thought patterns, they don’t care that you just want some peace and quiet – they’re still there telling you what to think. Wherever we go, there we are.
Escaping Yourself Is Impossible
It’s so easy to think that if we just change our location or circumstances, all of our problems will magically disappear. So many people fall into that trap, thinking “If I can just get a new job, move to a different city, leave this relationship, then everything will be perfect!” But you can’t really escape who you are or how you think. Your mind is always going to go with you no matter where you end up, for better or worse.
I’ve seen it so many times before. Someone changes their whole life situation hoping it will change their mental state as well, but before too long they realize their usual thought patterns have followed right along with them. Same judgments, same worries, same habits…just in a new place.
And some people think substances are the answer, that drugs or alcohol will let them check out of their thoughts for a while. But that’s only temporary relief, and your mind will still be there waiting for you when the high wears off.
Real and lasting change has to start from the inside. You’ve got to look at your thought patterns, work on your reactions, challenge negative self-talk. Only then can you truly change your experience of life, no matter what’s going on around you. The location might change, but you’re the one constant.
Your State of Mind Matters Most
The old quote, “Wherever you go, there you are,” holds so much wisdom. To me, it’s a reminder that no matter where I travel in life or what situations I find myself in, I’m always going to be with myself. I’ve got my own mind, my own thoughts and feelings, and I can’t escape that.
So in a way, my mind is like my oldest and most constant companion. It’s always there by my side through everything. And if I really think about it, that’s kind of amazing but also kind of intimidating! I’m stuck with myself for life. There’s no getting away from me!
But you know what, once I accepted that fact it actually brought me a lot of peace. I realized the only way I was going to be happy was to make friends with myself, you know? I had to find a way to be OK with who I am and the way my brain works. And that meant forgiving myself for past mistakes and being gentle with myself. It’s an ongoing process for sure, but now I see it as spending quality time with my best friend – myself!
Wherever the future takes me, I feel ready to go there because I’ve made my peace with who travels beside me – me!
