Life Changing Lessons on Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Self-Acceptance, Thanks Lisa

Thank you to Lisa James.

Welcome to this series on Giving Gratitude with your host, Jennifer Kumar.

Lisa taught me....

...that there was someone out there that could relate to both the joys and struggles of studying as the 'only American' in India.'

Being accepted by others is a unique process, dictated by both our outer and inner worlds (heart, mind, soul). Said another way, looking like others, or our outer appearance is not the best gauge of acceptance by others, as well as self-acceptance.

Remember....
... There is someone out there ....

Who can relate to you- empathize with your story and also can appreciate it on a deeper level because they have lived something similar. (This will help us understand we can rely on others to understand us!)

Who will accept us. When we are accepted, we must look within to learn about how we can better accept ourselves. This is not always easy, and it's a life long journey.


Lisa also helped me explore and understand some other issues of being an international student, expat and foreigner on some different levels:
1. Just because we "look" or "don't look" like the others, doesn't mean we don't have our own adjustment struggles.
2. Culture shock happens to everyone. (I actually had thought that because she grew up in an Indian family in US that she wouldn't struggle adjusting to Indian culture like I did. But I was wrong! Not only did she also face culture shock, but similar problems were shared between us in adjusting to India. Now that I realize that, I think, DUH how could I have ever thought that?)
3. Living a cross-cultural life is misunderstood by others and within ourselves when we can't find the right way to 'define ourselves'. But sometimes, ironically, definitions are not needed although 'society' seems to love definitions.
4. Labels don't define culture shock experiences (Ie being An American In India, etc) but people as individuals experiencing new things different from the usual routine define culture shock. This can happen to anyone anywhere and at anytime!

Thanks Lisa!

See her story on my website!
http://alaivani.com/Default.aspx?tabid=56&EntryID=507
http://tinyurl.com/lcjames

See this video on my blog
Welcome to this series on Giving Gratitude with your host, Jennifer Kumar.


Creator of this video, Jennifer Kumar, CC, LMSW is a life expat coach helping people living their best lives anywhere they relocate in the world! If you're looking for help navigating cross-cultural, multicultural, overseas, interfaith and global lifestyles, give me a line at authenticjourneys@gmail.com.

http://authenticjourneys.blogspot.com/2010/08/coaching-can-help-you-uncover-a...

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[alaivani]

@mrchocolate4eva Thanks for your feedback. I am not sure how to fix it. Some machines play the sound better than others, that's what I found.

[mrchocolate4eva]

the voice quality is really poor for me to be comfortable enough to watch your videos. fix that and i think people will be interested in what you have to say. thax