Fear. It’s part of human instinct and has gripping control over people, far beyond that of any other emotion.
In today’s digital age, with the combination of traditional media and the instant gratification of online updates, by-the-minute details are constantly plastered in front of us via numerous channels regarding global happenings both monumental and arguably ludicrous.
Fear can prevent us from doing a lot in life if we allow it, travel included. Everyday the media plays on that fear by sensationalizing global threats like terrorist attacks, extreme weather, plane crashes, sunken or broken down cruise ships, unsafe drinking water, unknown viruses and communicable disease, to name a few.
There’s a big difference however between an intelligent awareness of what’s going on in the world versus allowing irrational fears to influence our decision making, which happens all too often, stopping many from feeding their wanderlust souls. And I say, no more. Let’s not let fear rule us.
Arguably, the Zika virus is currently a leading cause of global fear affecting travel, as evidenced by the thousands of travelers that have recently canceled their plans to visit Central and South America and the Caribbean.
I currently live in Costa Rica and spent the entire month of October 2015 traveling throughout Brazil, including the northeast where the latest Zika outbreak originated. I didn’t find Zika to be a daily concern there, nor do I and my fellow comrades here.
The sensationalism around this issue inspired me to create actionable steps to evaluate the merits of global fears.