The First Step Towards Finding the Answers is Learning Not to Be Afraid
I understood that my mental health had improved when I went abroad and no longer felt culture shock
I see a lot of myself in my daughters. They are eager to do what is expected of them, and they become distressed if they sense anything that might be considered “inappropriate.”
When my eldest daughter was young, I took her to the lumberyard to get some materials for a home project. There was a sign on the wall that said children weren’t allowed to go to the second level. No matter how many times I told her it was okay, she insisted on standing dutifully by that sign to demonstrate that she accepted and respected the rules.
Even though it was heartwarming to watch, I also feared she was placing too much faith in the illusion of authority. We find comfort in the idea that there is protection in compliance. Sometimes the opposite is true. Fear can make us embrace behaviors that are detrimental to our own well-being.
During the ten years I lived abroad, I came to realize the extent to which my mental construct of authority exerted a negative influence on my life. Like my daughter, I stopped myself from going to the second floor.
