Going abroad while being open to different cultures is one experience that everyone should do, soon or later. It shapes who you are, constrains you to think differently, see new opportunities and new ways to behave and do things. Being in a big city offers you so many opportunities that is impossible embrace them all. After the initial shock, you became used to it. You change your behavior and start to think it is normal. When this happens, it is quite impossible go back to the original mindset.
Once you break your confidence interval, you start looking for new opportunities, new experiences and new limits to break. It never ends, because you are young and hungry and curious and crazy.
However, in order to so you need to be open. You need to stop speaking your language. You need to stop thinking the way you are used to. You need to criticize yourself.
If this is missing, you’ll be abroad pointing the finger to everything you are not used to. You will see the worst in everyone and in everything. A potentially amazing experience will soon became a nightmare, something you will try to escape. Breaking the confidence interval is hard. Makes us vulnerable. But hey, you are vulnerable in any case. You can lie to yourself or you can embrace serendipity and the joy of being open to other people. Being open to other ideas. Being open to other worlds.
Being open and really try to understand other people is the only way to break stereotypes. You will fail, you will be disappointed and think that some behavior are not respectful. Yes. It is part of the game. Sometimes you win, sometimes not. The trick is to focus on the wins. And try to became addicted to it. Because it is a good game. It is healthy for the soul.
Embrace curiosity, travel, get in contact with people outside the closest friends circle. It may be scary, but it worth it. It worth every single drop of your energy. I think is the receipt for happiness.
“The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.” — Albert Einstein
No comments yet.