Discovering the Good: A Journey of Self-Reflection and Connection
Some people just bring out all the good in you. I’ve met those people while abroad in Sweden, visiting Thailand, in hospitals when I’m sick, and in the Department of Rehabilitation. There is plenty of support when you advocate for yourself. Thankfully, as an American citizen, there are benefits that my parents didn’t have access to.
I often get bogged down with thoughts like ‘oh, I’m not good enough,’ ‘I suck,’ and ‘everyone else is different.’ But I realize that I’m not creating a sense of community for myself. As I continue to create and foster love in these new spaces, I’m learning that there’s so much good in the world. For example, in the Department of Rehabilitation, a counselor told me to face my back towards the wall so that I can observe and see anyone who comes my way.
As a woman, I often try to think that I have a lot of these things under control, but sometimes I don’t.
Thought bubble: After being in this space, I realize I really like helping people in occupational health. I wonder if I can explore that.
Continuing: Sometimes when I’m too much in my head, meeting amazing people like this makes my world brighter, and I feel so much better. Another good thing is getting positive praise from my friends, people that barely know me but whom I consider friends as well. I share my stories, and it fascinates them. For example, this one time in Sweden, a man said, ‘I love Americans, they’re so funny.’ I didn’t think I was that funny, nor was I American enough. And over the course of hanging out, it most definitely wasn’t intended as a back-handed compliment.
Nonetheless, all of this was really fun to experience, including people like the counselor telling me to watch my back and how I pose in public, and the boy who said he loves Americans. It helps me learn more about perspective and how the world works in its own various ways. I will continue to foster that optimistic mindset within myself and continue to seek out the good in the world.
