Disclaimer: These are things I personally learned. I’m not saying that you should use these too, because everyone is different and need to handle situations differently. But I hope I inspire just one person with this.
Things I learned in Spain:
- Don't be embarrassed or upset when you have an anxiety attack. You just have to take deep breaths and remind yourself you can get through this. And let others know what is going on; they'll be understanding and supportive.
- It's okay to make mistakes; in fact, it's important to. You won't learn or grow if you don't.
- Don't be afraid to be a leader. It can be scary, but you never how much you can learn if you take that risk.
- Don't overthink things. If you think you can do something, 99.9% of the time you can. Don't sit there and wonder what could go wrong. If something does go wrong, you learn from it and move on.
- When you are in a foreign country, it's better to attempt and slaughter the language than not say anything at all. The locals seem to appreciative your efforts.
- Know your limits: physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's good to push yourself, but not to the point where you fall apart. Don't be ashamed, just know that you are unable to do things that others can, and it's okay.
- You don't have to be loved and/or accepted by everyone. Instead of seeking out approval and acceptance, just be you and the rest will follow. If someone doesn't approve of you, that's their problem, not yours. And it's okay.
- Don't regret anything. Maybe things didn't go the way you wanted it to, but as long as you learn something from it, then there's no reason to regret. If you didn't learn anything, maybe you missed something. Or maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
- Enjoy each moment while you are in, not worrying about the future or fretting about the past. All that matters is the here and now.
- Airplanes aren't going to kill you ;)
- Subways and people on the subway won't kill you ;)
- Believe in yourself. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
