Bashful Bomb!

Being an all time bashful baby, I realised it was time for me to stretch out and leave my shell. Perhaps someone else needs this shell, for I surely have worn it for a very long time. Part of being an international student is meeting new people. It has to happen sooner a later, adapting to my new environment, to a new culture, new people from across the world. It is an influence which I cannot resist or avoid even if I wanted to. No matter how hard it was at first, it became better with time. By engaging in various conversations with others, debates in classes, and discussions in meetings, I began to understand myself and listen to myself as I spoke my thoughts out loud. I was used to hearing my thoughts in my mind, but when I actually spoke them out, I gained more self-respect, more self-awareness, and confidence in myself. I finally understood the notion of communication; how one has to be careful of his/her thoughts for they can turn to words, and words can become actions, which later on become habits, and habits then become characters. From communication, I learnt the gift of listening. It’s sometimes hard to listen to others, but it can be a door to someone else’s within, a window to an untold story, and an atom of hope that builds into a galaxy of comfort. Some people need to be listened to more than their need for oxygen or water. I am glad I chose to study the field of counselling, because from this I am now able to connect to others as to myself, and help others unfold a locked world within that has been tapping the doors of disclosure for so long. Come to think of it, if nature gave us one tongue and two ears then this means we could hear twice as much as we speak, so why not!