One Year of Mind Shuffling
Experiencing the experiences.
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”
― Carl Gustav Jung
17th Jan 2020
I moved to Paris on 1st Oct 2018. Nearly a year and a half later, I am traveling to India — my motherland — to stay at my beautiful and spacious home.
When I look back, this period in Europe was more focused on personal experiences than professional, both unintentionally and unknowingly.
Moving to a new country alone, going through all the admin work, the cultural shift, and then making yourself feel at home at the end of it when you have been working since day two is a tough row to hoe.
I would like to recall it as my “transition phase” in terms of thought process. It was a mind shift. It’s not even about Western culture versus Asian culture. Those are broader terms that you become familiar with in time.
I am blessed to be an Indian as my country is so diverse and rich in culture to provide all these experiences. But it’s about time and when you get a chance to explore certain aspects of life. I have always been more focused on my career and professional life than my personal life in general, so it was a good opportunity to remodel my thoughts.
It was more about the individual’s culture, the kind of experiences they had and their journey so far, which influences the thought process and perception of looking at things in the moment.
The right terms could be philosophy, psychology and the core values each of us carries!
Being an Experience designer, I have always been more interested in the depth research and hence, the “WH” questions. But during the last year, my favorite and more frequently used one has been “WHY,” though it’s definitely hard to get all the answers honestly.
Words are not the only way to understand people. There are many other mediums and gestures to understand their beliefs, philosophy, and actions. In this situation, it’s more of an observation.
The major takeaways:
1. Don’t adapt if you don’t believe in it but respect the difference.
2. The art of acceptance while maintaining your dignity.
3. The art of being patient when you can’t control things.
The best way to expand your mind is to meet people from all backgrounds and age groups and when you have time to observe and reflect. I happened to get all this experience in the same period.
I couldn’t digest or look at some of the other perceptions so easily. It took me a while, and I broke my head on the “WHY” and spoilt my sleep sometimes. Sometimes I felt vulnerable to understand “WHY” and I believe that we shouldn’t be afraid of this emotion as well. It’s a state of mind when you are trying to understand what’s happening around you.
I aspire to learn and enlighten myself more and more to broaden my horizons with many more experiences yet to come.
Look at the power of the universe — it made me bump into a few people who are my friends now, who did listen to me and felt the turmoil going on under my skull. They accepted and appreciated me the way I am, but they helped me see the right direction to channel my energy and pushed me to be myself.
Though one of my inborn traits is to empathize with people and be kind to them, it was still a learning experience for me to accept people, the way they are. Even if they are wrong, they will change when they WANT. Maybe certain things could be weird and wrong for me, but not for them. Maybe it’s universally wrong but they haven’t got the chance to learn this skill.
Sometimes people don’t realize how they react in certain circumstances. Everyone has a different way of dealing with the situation. I was surprised to see my different forms in a specific situation a few years back but that’s not me — it’s a tiny part of me.
Don’t judge people, as you don’t know what’s happening in their life, especially at that moment. Give them time and space rather than creating stories in your head.
The most important thing is to maintain your standards and dignity as well in that process. Empathize with others but be protective of yourself. Don’t judge yourself and don’t let anyone abuse your kindness.
The journey reflected on a few of my strengths and weaknesses. The trip to India now is truly required and it’s going to be an awesome break and an energy booster.
A long drive with my dad, Mom’s handmade yummy food, their care, and love will help me in detoxifying like they do every time I visit them. Moreover, my cousin’s grand wedding is a great add-on. Gup-shups with other sets of cousins, recalling childhood stories, exploring street food together and exchanging little skills are great ways to rekindle the bond and create more memories.
The best would be the hug and the blessings from my Nani-ma (grandmom) in the form of “churma ke laddu” and the genuine happiness on my uncle (mama-Ji), niece and nephew’s faces. My Nana-Ji (maternal grandfather) is no longer on this earth but he is still in the universe and with us. I always get the blessings in the same way whenever I visit my Nana-Nani’s home, the only difference is it’s more of a feeling and natural imagination now.
Looking forward to the three-week journey! :):) Love to each one of the souls who are part of it! ❤
In the world of instant gratification when you get everything with one click, it’s difficult to maintain the art of patience. I haven’t gulped and aligned myself with these learnings completely but practice makes a man perfect. :)
(P.S. My vulnerability in the past helped me discover my interest in narrating experiences and creative writing. Embrace your faults. There is already more than enough negativity in the world — let’s spread positivity.)
