February 2011 (Originally published in The Cooperstown Crier)
I have previously shared five of my most important life lessons learned in India. However, finding myself with just two months left in this amazing country, I will write about two life lessons this month. So far I have learned to make decisions carefully, know when to refuse and when to accept, how to live in a different culture, and that I should never take anything for granted.
The sixth thing I learned in India is that everything in your life happens for a reason. This is a theory that many people choose to refute, but I have come to believe it. There have been a lot of weird, difficult, and sometimes awkward experiences here. When one occurs, I try to remember to find the good in it. I have realized that many things will happen to me in my life that I won’t necessarily see as good things. But I’ve also realized that if I choose to come away from these experiences having found the way to do the right thing and stay positive, I have done what’s best for me. Things do happen for a reason, and I think that reason is to help me make better choices and learn more, so that when I’m faced with something more important than trivial teenage drama, I’ll know how to handle it. I know that on the surface, this lesson doesn’t really relate to Indian lifestyle or language. However, for me, it’s very relevant. For someone from another culture, India is a place where I am constantly tested, put through a great deal of stress and difficulty. Culture shock presents me with new challenges every day, even seven months into my exchange. But the true value of Rotary for me is that I see these challenges as chances to become someone who is more genuine, more motivated, and more confident. These are the reasons that the “thing” called Rotary Exchange happened to me.
The seventh lesson I learned is that you should never underestimate the mark anyone can make on you. Don’t disregard someone just because you have no initial interest in them or they have done something to offend you. Every person who enters your life is, like I mentioned above, there for a reason, and you should give each of them a chance to teach you something, or change you, whether they do so by being your best friend, your worst enemy, or anything in between. I know that each person I have had a relationship with here, whether it be my host parents, Indian friends, or Rotary friends, has made an impact on me. They have all taught me something and helped me grow. There have been bad experiences, when someone is unnecessarily immature and causes unwelcome drama, and amazing ones, when someone I don’t really consider my friend amazes me with what they say or do for me. Hence, the most important part of my Rotary Exchange has been the people I’ve met. I think that the people around us are the reason we do what we do, feel what we feel. They are the main reason we can grow and change. So embrace every relationship you have as at least, if nothing more, an important experience in your life. Then you miss out on none of the wisdom and maturity you have the potential to attain.