When I started working in France, it was just after my two-year Master’s. Studying, not just my course but language too, drained me mentally. Of course, language was an immersive experience, but it does take a toll on the brain.
I was lucky to find myself among kind colleagues who tried to help make my first professional years as painless as possible.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion
The Dalai Lama
Working in another country and in another language has helped me learn to embrace change, face my fears and most importantly, the importance of empathy.
My last post highlighted a few things living in another country has taught me. It takes a real psychological toll on a person, especially when you have to learn a second language to survive.
This week I contemplated a period in my life here when I woke up constantly with headaches and anxiety. I don’t want to call it depression, but I probably ended up in that space. Thankfully, therapy helped, and I slowly recovered.
This is a short post to say we should learn to be
kind to others because we do not know what
anyone is going through.
My empathetic colleagues keep me sane while I am away from family and close friends. When I experience loss (I am currently grieving the loss of my childhood friend), sometimes it’s hard to concentrate on work. But when you have colleagues, friends, and people around you who listen, in whom you can confide to clear your head, it makes life easier.
I wrote a short story about empathy that you might like to read. It may remind you of someone or even point out something you have experienced. In any case, I hope it resonates with you and creates some awareness of how we should treat others.