It seems like in this “selfie world,” we think we are happy beings because we take selfies. However, studies have shown that taking selfies can help you feel happy because you are smiling (the act of smiling increases your overall happiness) not because taking pictures of yourself causes you to be happy. On the other hand, studies state that taking group pictures showed increased life satisfaction, and seeing group pictures increased a sense of happiness. Need I say more? There is enough data out there to validate to include people and events in your pictures, those memories will have a positive effect on your life.
Thus my argument for taking a We-Pic. WHAT IS A We-Pic? (sometimes called a groupie) A We-Pic is the opposite of a selfie. It s a simple image one takes that includes the host environment and or the folks that you meet along the way.
Selfie
We-Pic
The energy in these two pictures is different, not better or worse, However, collective happiness is truly powerful.
Recognizing the local environment is key when we travel around the world. Pictures with someone have a voice and most times provide an important story to tell.
Self-care is important for healthy living but we are not living in isolation. We have gotten used to a selfie world that many times don’t let you see where you are located. We have created a “selfie globalization” that distracts us from universal compassion and alienates us from people’s connections. How do you think you locals feel when you travel when your only concern is taking pictures of yourself? I leave this open up to you…..Self-reflection is growth.
A Wepic when you travel has an incredibly powerful energy of the people and places we visit. A Wepic might be the first step out of your comfort zone learning and engaging with others.
Share your Wepic!! Most times when you connect with your environment shows a glow that you can not photoshop!
Life is created of millions of moments and those moments don’t happen alone in a void…share the folks that made them special, make them count!
Top reasons why taking a picture with locals is better than only taking selfies:
1- It gives a sense of immortality: there is something about documenting; putting a stamp revindicating it with a seal while taking a picture. It is an everlasting moment and those moments bring much more joy when you share them with your loved ones!
Above are dad and mom with adorable little “me.” While dad is not around in this earth plane he is always present with this picture….it would have been so much more empty just to look at a picture of myself alone in the very same spot at the very same time.
2- It is an opportunity to affirm someone’s care: there are folks you know or meet on your travels that made you happy. Having a picture taken with someone who cares is a great way to reaffirm your appreciation for the relationship that be a friend (like in this case) a family member, someone new, etc. Pics might bring you closer than you thought!
Travel stamp: reaffirming my close friendship in Buenos Aires with my best travel buddy, Stefie, who is no longer with us. Stefie was the most knowledgeable world traveler I have ever met. He had visited every single country I could think of acquiring a deep knowledge of the culture, he was never counting countries that is the easy part! and he was always incredibly generous with his knowledge and friendship. Stefie is traveling with me in Spirit…always! I miss you terribly my dear friend Stefie!
3- It provides the opportunity to learn: as an educational tool, images have assisted us in learning and retaining information. how many times do you look back at a picture with folks you met along your travels and start researching where they are from? or who they could be?
Travel stamp: Here I am with Father Nalin Fernando, we met on my train travel to Ella, Sri Lanka. I knew that 70% of the population in Sri Lanka practices Buddhism but Father Nalin is a Catholic priest. I learned about Catholics in Sri Lanka and about Nuwara Eliya. We chatted our hearts away on the train, we are still in touch and I will see him in 2020. He is a gem!
4- It is an opportunity to gain a new perspective: This means that you look at things from a different standpoint usually helps you gain objectivity.
Travel stamp: Here with my Indian family from Jaisalmer (my family by heart) at a famous Tanot Mata temple in the village of Tanot located in the Thar desert at the Indo-Pakistani border. A new perspective on the importance of this Buddhist temple and a new perspective on how to go about the inside of the temple and do prayer…..a gift!
5- It portrays equality and acknowledgment: we all have access to the same place and the same picture together. We are all equal at that very moment and recognizing that is key in social and emotional development
Travel stamp: here with a bathroom attendant in Lviv, Ukraine. We both laughed and this was a truly shared and shared connection
6- It makes us happy: generosity is an element of wanting to share a picture with others. The act of being generous embracing and thinking about others is backed by research as helping us to feel good and feeling good gives us joy!
Travel stamp: Here with this lady who makes beautiful handmade bags right there on the street in Jaipur. I wanted to highlight her for doing such a beautiful job with her bags! If you see her try her products!
7- Meet new people: taking a picture with others makes you reach out. How many times do we feel funny about talking to others? how much easier it is to reach out to folks to take a picture together? and then start a short conversation if you wish. Usually, other folks celebrate and or feel honored to be part of that pic.
Travel stamp: these lovely girls asked me to be on this picture with them in Indonesia..self confidence on their part and what an honor!
8- Self-confidence: and self-esteem booster: getting a picture taken with people you don’t really know, most times gets you out of your comfort zone. Then again it is a great way to play the supporting role and to be part of the composition.
Travel stamp: Hawa Mahal Palace in Jaipur with a group of Northern Indian visitors. I asked them to take a picture and gracefully laughed and we are all here.
9- We are all in the spotlight: it is not about how many pictures you post of yourself. Let’s be real, who really wants to see a bunch of pics of yourself? BOOO ring! I usually mute those but I don’t mute the ones where folks highlight other folks
Travel stamp: here at a restaurant at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands with one of my best friends from Iceland and her other fun friend. It was not about me it was about being with them!
10- Opportunity to be funny/goofy: this reason makes us smile wider! and it is much easier with folks you don’t know that well to try something new, laughing is a great way to connect with others. I am here with a young diver who shared his mask with me. We had a ball in Trincomalee (Trinco) while I was snorkeling. May I say I am a “professional snorkeler.?”
Travel stamp: I am here with a young diver who shared his diving with me. We shared a diving trip in Trincomalee (Trinco), Sri Lanka while I was snorkeling. May I say I am a “professional snorkeler.?”
11- Share something important to you. Is it a monument? a landscape? a landmark? whatever it is, surely is a meeting place of interest that we have in common, that we share and we can all be included in the same pic!
Travel stamp: here I am with my close friend in Cairo. We always have fun together and we needed to document the market and our fun time!
why Top 11 reasons and not top 10? Simple, I had soo many reasons to do we-pic…and I just like the number 11!
