As I geared up for my recent trip to Mexico, two earthquakes struck over the past two weeks.

Participants quickly messaged, “Is the trip still on?”

The first earthquake hit 6 hours away, the second struck closer to “home” in Mexico City. Our base for the trip was on the outskirts of the city, at the pyramids of Teotihuacan, about an hour away.

Yes, I reassured everyone, we are going… and we all sent prayers to the affected areas.

Then I caught my partner mumbling under his breath, “It’s safer to stay close to home these days and not go out of the country.”

While I appreciate his protectiveness and concern, I have to wholeheartedly disagree with that kind of thinking.

Was it safe for the folks who live in Florida or Houston to stay at home during the hurricanes?

Has it been safe for the people of London who have lived through multiple terrorist attacks? 

Is it safe for the millions who live anywhere a natural or man-made disaster hits?

And what about travel during COVID-19?

The truth is that nowhere in the world is “safe” these days. The idea of “safety” is simply our mind trying to reassure ourselves against the unpredictability of life.

So whenever I plan a retreat, I go where I feel called. Of course I calculate the potential risks and use common sense – I certainly would not be inclined to go to certain war-torn areas right now.

But I cannot let my fear dictate where I go or how I live – and I pray that you don’t either.

After all, I may think it’s “safe” to stay at home in my quiet town and not get on an airplane.

And yet when the US National Safety Council compiled an odds-of-dying table in 2008 comparing driving accidents versus air travel, it calculated the odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident to be 1 in 98 for a lifetime. For air and space transport, the odds were 1 in 7,178 for a lifetime.

Even in absolute numbers, driving is more dangerous, with more than 5 million accidents compared to 20 accidents in flying.*

I’ll take a plane any day even though my mind feels it’s safer to get into my car!

=> As a retreat leader, it’s part of your responsibility to educate your clients on the risks and rewards of travel (and that’s just one reason why we stress the importance of legal forms!).

=> And that means it is also your responsibility to educate yourself on where it is currently safe to travel and IF it is safe to travel by reviewing your governments travel website – this is critical!

Just as you might help your participants overcome doubts or fears in other aspects of their lives, you also need to help illuminate the irrational fears that come up when traveling.

After all, isn’t that the part of the beauty of traveling?

Putting yourself in a different environment and getting to see the world through different eyes?

That new perspective then helps you see your life (or your business) from a new point of one – one that could bring more joy or success or transformation to yourself and those you touch.

As for me, and my participants, we went to Mexico. We headed the call and faced any fears or situations as they came up.

I believe in following my heart and living my life to the fullest. And that involves the risk of waking up and walking out my front door every day – whether I’m driving down the street to my office or hopping on a plane to an exotic destination.

Of course I recommend you be smart and recommend that all your participants carry trip cancellation insurance and YOU should have an evacuation plan should any issues come up while you and your group are traveling! Knowing where your nearest consulate office is located could be very helpful too!

What about you? How do you educate your clients on the safety and risks of retreats? Comment below!

* Source: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/air-travel-safer-car-travel-1581.html

Want In-Depth Training On How To Plan, Lead & Profit From International Retreats?

Then you’ll DEFINITELY want to check out our “Retreat Blueprint Program” – the industry-leading in-depth training for retreat leaders that will entirely transform how you plan, lead & profit from international retreats.

So what do you get with the Retreat Blueprint Program?

• Access to one year of 26 LIVE coaching classes! (all recorded, just in case you miss one).
• Six course modules you can watch anytime (you have lifetime access to the online course modules).
• Transcripts for each video course module.
• Forever access to our Facebook group and community, where you can share ah-ha’s, resources, ideas, and revelations — AND get answers and feedback from our retreat coaches.
• All our CRAZY bonuses, proprietary forms & worksheets!
• As soon as you register, you can start the online course and work at your own pace.
• You can print out the video transcripts and worksheets if you’d prefer to work offline.
• And you’ll get our liability forms which you need to protect yourself when running retreats!

Dr Sheri Rosenthal is known as one of the most sought after retreat strategists for coaches, speakers, and authors — and is the owner of Journeys of the Spirit Travel®, a boutique agency specializing in the planning and management of group travel.

Through her Wanderlust Entrepreneur Community and her signature course, The Retreat Blueprint Program, she has taught thousands of facilitators how to design exceptional retreats that allow them stand out in their niche. She is famous for helping clients plan, fill, and profit from transformational retreats that change lives in a huge way while adding serious income to their bottom line!