Challenges and adversity are part of everyone’s lives and my life was no exception. Almost ten years ago, my family landed in Canada, moving away from UAE into a brand-new country, leaving some great friends, and moving into a new culture. Although it was exciting to start a new chapter, it was a very anxious time full of uncertainties that were ahead of me, but I always knew I had my self-confidence within me and a great family as my support system. Moving to a new place where everyone is familiar with one another and getting settled into a new system of education can be difficult but at the same time molds us in getting accepted into the Canadian way of life. The lessons I learned during this experience serve as a constant reminder that change is inevitable and that learning to adapt is your best navigation tool. I share these experiences to help guide people that are transitioning between countries, cultures, or jobs and can enable them to have a better transition than I did.
1. Break problems down into smaller, more manageable pieces: Every problem that arises might be bigger than expected but the key is to try and break them up, resolving them slowly. In this case, not finding friends and being unable to ‘fit in’ seemed like the hardest task but taking the approach of focusing on making one loyal friend rather than the acceptance of a large group helped me worry less and surround myself with people who appreciated me for me.
2.. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new! The fear of failure and not knowing about things that are out of your control is often the cause of worry and incapability to face problems. I often wasted a lot of time blaming others and causing more worry within instead of looking for a silver lining in this new environment. I finally decided to make myself busy by joining various activities like ‘Scouts Canada’, visiting the library, swimming, and cycling to keep myself fit and my mind occupied. This momentum began to build as I started meeting new people and enjoying their company as well.
3.You need a mentor and/or a friend to share your successes and concerns. Sometimes, we tend to try to solve all our problems without the support of other people, bottling up emotions that could therefore affect our physical and mental health. Therefore, I found it super important to find that friend, mentor, teacher, or people who could be your potential “go-to person” that you are comfortable sharing your concerns or issues. Having this support system is so beneficial and important because, in middle school, I often got overwhelmed, and finding that one teacher that always took the time out of her day to be that person that I could confide in, really helped me in the long run. She is the reason why I gained my confidence and will always carry her wise words no matter where I am in life.
Life is a journey and successes, and failures are all part of it. We learn from these experiences and move on with them. Even though I successfully “landed” on my feet after a couple of years of coming to Canada, my journey continued. I never expected to shift my entire life to Canada, but you never know what life has planned around the corner. It might sound cliché when you hear it for the first time, but one needs to remember that every problem is a lesson and an opportunity. We must always remain focused, do what we love, manage our internal conflicts ourselves, and remain tenacious and eager to seek solutions. I never let the problems take over my personality or take away my smile.