My country is the world and my religion is to do good.

I just listened to a clip from the Dalai Lama and he spoke on the importance of inner values. Religion, continent, skin color, economic status aside. We all individually have inner values we could (I’ll avoid saying “should”) agree on that would make interaction with one another much more peaceful. I started this blog just spewing disagreeance with many things I’ve been experiencing lately. Most of it petty. I came here with the idea in mind that experiencing a new culture and being around people from such an array of ethnic backgrounds would teach me acceptance and tolerance. I had to be reminded of this mission. 

The last couple of weeks have been great but nonetheless I find I’m in that strange phase where things are no longer new and exciting. I’ve begun to settle in and the differences are common occurrences and most of the time I find I like the way I, and my country, do things better than the way other people do things. But the main reason for my preference is comfort… because it is how I’ve experienced life for 24 years now. It’s important to take off your shoes and try on that of another to see that they are also doing what is natural and comfortable for them. We are all a product of our environments. Comprised of the same basic components but shaped by different circumstances. After observing the differences in people, styles, systems, and forms of interaction there are things I certainly like more and things I like less. Recently I have found that the things I like less just really get under my skin. The honeymoon phase has passed and Sweden and I are fighting about who took the soap out of the shower. There are many similarities among us all but the differences are always more prominently noticed and focused on. If I was to stay here in Sweden I would eventually adjust, get used to it, and the differences I'm experiencing would become the norm. Where I have to catch myself, because I’m not staying and there is comfort in knowing things will go back to how I am used to, is when I begin to negatively judge these differences. That’s the whole tolerance thing I was talking about. The key to tolerance is taking the time to understand people and accept them for who they are, even if it is contradictory to your own beliefs. It's ok to prefer one way over another, in fact its good to know what you like and dislike for your own personal life, it is however flawed to think that your way is better and others should change. 

Instead of getting annoyed at these differences I must remember to celebrate them and smile about the fact that those very differences are what make life and human interaction so exciting. It is those very differences that we observe when entering a new culture that make you appreciate things in your life a little more, help you realize strengths you didn’t know your character possessed, and recognize areas in society that can be improved, thus business opportunities just waiting to happen. I had a great conversation with a friend during our break in class today. She summed up her feeling on studying abroad in exactly the terms I would. Your friends, your family, your habitat, your things; they all make you comfortable. But if you really want to grow as person, leave it all behind for a period of time, keep an open mind and see what happens. It is the best and most rewarding way to find out what you’re made of. 

Some quotes I enjoyed reading this morning.

The love of one's country is a natural thing. But why should love stop at the border?
— Pablo Casals

Human beings seldom step outside of themselves to really grasp the needs and fears of others. We often project our own thoughts and beliefs upon strangers, and make judgments based upon how we think they 'should' be living their lives. If only we could experience a few moments inside the feelings of another person, the world would be a much more compassionate and benevolent place.
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.— Danny Thomas, Entertainer/Humanitarian (1914-1991)

If you approach each new person you meet in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter. 
— Eleanor Roosevelt, Wife of President F. D. Roosevelt, activist, UN diplomat (1884-1962) 

We will never know the difference that can be made in our life and the lives of strangers unless we choose to be open to all possibilities.
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

Ninety percent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves.
— Sydney J. Harris, American Journalist (1917-1986)

The highest result of education is tolerance.
— Helen Keller

The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices.
— Frederick II, the Great

How do we create a harmonious society out of so many kinds of people? The key is tolerance, the one value that is indispensable in creating community.
— Barbara Jordan

I think we have to own the fears that we have of each other, and then, in some practical way, some daily way, figure out how to see people differently than the way we were brought up to.
— Alice Walker

It takes a disciplined person to listen to convictions which are different from their own.
— Dorothy Fuldman (A Thousand Friends)

Man is always inclined to be intolerant towards the thing, or person, he hasn't taken the time adequately to understand.
— Robert R. Brown

Minds are like parachutes — they only function when open.
— Sir James Dewar

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
— H. Jackson Brown

*The quote in my title is from Thomas Paine.

Wishing you all a very happy Wednesday!

L