it all started back in July 22nd 2010
there was standing in front of the
Science Building at st. Peter school
Cambridge New Zealand it didn’t really
hit me until then but I’m actually
studying abroad I went to the classroom
I have my first L school in a brand new
country and then that’s when I first
lesson reality and expectations most
likely won’t be the same most 99% of the
time before I went to New Zealand I had
great expectations myself like any other
teenage girl my 15 year old self thought
to myself well I’m gonna be the most
popular school girl at school I’m going
to become one of the cool kids
everyone’s gonna about coming with open
arms worship me like the goddess I am
that didn’t happen
not saying you’re not nice I had
unrealistic expectations and that made
me very very sad
I was completely miserable for the next
couple weeks I called my mother every
single night crying to her complaining
to her that I felt completely lonely and
out of place at a foreign country
speaking a language that wasn’t my
native tongue so that one out for a
while until one day she finally had had
enough of me
she said Lily if we’re so happy in New
Zealand why don’t you come home to your
back to your friends and family where
you’re completely comfortable so you
don’t call me every night and cry
I said no mother I immediately rejected
her proposal dead already a for my
tuition and that’s a pretty large sum
and I can’t let his money go to waste
that was like the econ business per se I
mean talking like money paid money needs
to be spent so she was like okay well
let me tell you something you have three
more years in New Zealand
your sophomore junior and senior year
you can either spend every day being as
miserable as you are right now crying to
me every night for hours or you can
really
stick up to the situation and actually
make your the most of your time in New
Zealand not everyone is as lucky as you
to have the resources to go abroad and
that was like lettuce lettuce sure
mother I think about that
so I got a photo with her I said they’re
still you know Tyrians trying to look in
the mirrors to make sure I’m not a good
Christ
giveaway cry with style and pass like I
always do and then I decided that she’s
completely right
I can either spend a thousand of
something days that’s three years I did
my math a thousand something days
completely miserable well I can actually
turn the situation around and make
myself happier so instead of trying to
force my expectations to be equivalent
to the reality which is not going to be
the case I can manage my expectations
and actually face reality and that’s how
I learned my second lesson the whole
concept comfort zone stress own
impending zone was a great idea that I
learned when I was abroad in Germany
last spring I took a class in leadership
across culture thinking that open
beneficial for my international business
and this concept really stuck out to me
basically what the comfort zone stress
don’t panic zone theory suggests that as
human beings we all have three zones
around us comfort zone is what’s closest
to us and I’m sure all of you are quite
familiar with an idea of what comfort
zone you’re completely comfortable
you’re completely comfortable in it
you’re happy you don’t want to do
anything else that will change your
comfortable staked
however because you’re so happy because
we’re so complacent in this comfort zone
you’re not challenged and when you’re
not challenged you don’t grow
you don’t learn that’s why I encourage
you guys to break through into your
Cheston that’s where your colour or kind
of boy your stress because you’re being
exposed to new things that you’re not
familiar with but that’s how you grow
you you learn something new you become a
better version of yourself and then the
pent in the panic tones the outermost
stone that’s where you don’t really want
to go because that’s when your
subjective so many things that your
not comfortable comfortable with like
your bodies goes into panic shutdown
mode and just starts freaking out for
example you’ll be challenging yourself
to learn French and German and how to
play the piano taking on the new job
moves here you see the all of the same
time and you’re about it’s like I can’t
do that let’s think about it again
girlfriend so that’s why we should stay
in the stress zone the stress is
manageable
you take them your new test one that one
that one at the time so you start by
moving to your different city working a
different job let you start learning a
new skill one at a time steadily you
become better you know what used to be
your stress them well maybe in your
panic zone now turns you into a comfort
zone and it completely grow and grow
their comfort zone becomes bigger your
stress home becomes bigger and then so
does your panic zone so I encourage you
guys to break through your comfort zone
and really step into your stress zone so
you can become a better version of
yourself learn and grow as a human as a
student as a business leader as a
professional my third lesson coming goes
hand-in-hand with my second lesson about
comfort zones so after I decided I’m
gonna break through my comfort zone I’m
going to you know make the most of my
time in New Zealand and not be crying
every night I sat down and made a list
of things that I would like to try I was
like this is my chance to revenge myself
these people don’t know me they don’t
know my background I basically have a
new identity I can do whatever I want
with this so the first thing I did to
break through my comfort zone was that
turned to the girl sitting next to me in
commerce class I just don’t remember
that her name is Jessica would became
best friends after them I said Jessica
would you like to go to lunch with me we
have a dining hall it was quite scary it
was it was worth in saga like you think
the lines at dug out during lunch time
was bad you show don’t do st. Peter
school and look at little Ashland dining
hall people were savage so I was like I
don’t want to be alone anymore I want to
make friends and instead of saying oh no
no
one likes me no one wants to talk to me
I think I decided to reach out Rick’s in
my comfort zone using my English skill I
wasn’t really comfortable with and say
hey I want to get lunch she said sure
and I was that that was easy
so that’s why the third lesson is to
turn the stress in your environment into
your opportunities as this business
student I love the concept of having a
SWOT analysis anyone heard of a SWOT
analysis your strengths weaknesses
opportunities and threats well know that
not only applies to businesses that also
applies to you as a human being we all
have strengths and weaknesses we’ll all
face different threats and opportunities
in our environment and that should not
be avoided such should be confronted and
trained to your opportunities for
example when I went to Freiburg Germany
before I blended in Germany all of
Germany could no I knew was young and 9
yes and that was not good after that I
knew that was a threat to me so I turned
into opportunity to actually learn about
different culture about a different
language I used that as an opportunity
to bond with my flatmates I begged them
to teach me German they laugh and my
accent was fine after four months in
Germany I was comfortable to go to
Starbucks in order a venti americano in
perfect German they understood me it was
it was great so yeah well you smell that
not learning German was turned to
opportunity to learn and become a better
version of myself
another threat I faced when I came to
Wesleyan was I am NOT from here
obviously and I knew nothing about okay
that’s a lie I knew something about
American culture but I wasn’t familiar
with it so instead of hiding my room and
not socializing with anyone a training
trip an opportunity to learn about the
American culture to become front to
become friends with people what I did
was I join a lot of student clubs on
campus including Kappa Delta sorority
and other organizations and that’s how I
met so many wonderful wonderful people
on cam
this and they helped me grow they help
me they help me break from my comfort
zone they helped me become a better
version of myself so don’t be afraid
upset
don’t let a threats make you retreat
that your comfort zone
it’s tempting it’s comfortable but being
comfortable won’t magic grow it won’t
let you break through my fourth lesson
was instead of only having international
students break through on their own it
it should be a two-way two-way street
basically fortunately st. Peter School
in Illinois Wesleyan were both very very
welcoming and accommodating for
international students there were a lot
of culture clubs and workshops on campus
that I can go to but this shouldn’t only
be an institutional thing the mass of
students were coming to members I
encourage you to actually take the
initiative to make friends with people
from international background to learn
more about an international culture you
shouldn’t be relying an international
student who came from say China or Japan
who spoke probably minimal English and
make them break through the comfort zone
immediately and starts socializing with
everyone they meet on campus that’s not
realistic instead there should be you
know a give-and-take domestic students
reach out to Lim ask them for to lunch
ask them to dinner say hey do you want
to grab some coffee and that’s a great
way to socialize a lot of coffee yeah
we’re not saying no to anyone we
inviting me to coffee so next time when
there isn’t culture event on campus next
time there’s a workshop about the first
teen clusion we shouldn’t have just
international students or faculty and
staff attending domestic students you’ll
learn and they should step up their own
comfort zone to learn about other’s
culture of its background and become
more inclusive because by learning about
a different culture you grow we lay
something and hands to become better
version of yourself I’m gonna end this
with
a quote from Rapunzel and we all know if
a Disney Princess say that it’s legit
and we better listen to it so and does
the other than 10 movie tingle Rapunzel
Stan venture outside your comfort zone
the results are worth it and I can speak
from personal experience the results
definitely are thank you
there was standing in front of the
Science Building at st. Peter school
Cambridge New Zealand it didn’t really
hit me until then but I’m actually
studying abroad I went to the classroom
I have my first L school in a brand new
country and then that’s when I first
lesson reality and expectations most
likely won’t be the same most 99% of the
time before I went to New Zealand I had
great expectations myself like any other
teenage girl my 15 year old self thought
to myself well I’m gonna be the most
popular school girl at school I’m going
to become one of the cool kids
everyone’s gonna about coming with open
arms worship me like the goddess I am
that didn’t happen
not saying you’re not nice I had
unrealistic expectations and that made
me very very sad
I was completely miserable for the next
couple weeks I called my mother every
single night crying to her complaining
to her that I felt completely lonely and
out of place at a foreign country
speaking a language that wasn’t my
native tongue so that one out for a
while until one day she finally had had
enough of me
she said Lily if we’re so happy in New
Zealand why don’t you come home to your
back to your friends and family where
you’re completely comfortable so you
don’t call me every night and cry
I said no mother I immediately rejected
her proposal dead already a for my
tuition and that’s a pretty large sum
and I can’t let his money go to waste
that was like the econ business per se I
mean talking like money paid money needs
to be spent so she was like okay well
let me tell you something you have three
more years in New Zealand
your sophomore junior and senior year
you can either spend every day being as
miserable as you are right now crying to
me every night for hours or you can
really
stick up to the situation and actually
make your the most of your time in New
Zealand not everyone is as lucky as you
to have the resources to go abroad and
that was like lettuce lettuce sure
mother I think about that
so I got a photo with her I said they’re
still you know Tyrians trying to look in
the mirrors to make sure I’m not a good
Christ
giveaway cry with style and pass like I
always do and then I decided that she’s
completely right
I can either spend a thousand of
something days that’s three years I did
my math a thousand something days
completely miserable well I can actually
turn the situation around and make
myself happier so instead of trying to
force my expectations to be equivalent
to the reality which is not going to be
the case I can manage my expectations
and actually face reality and that’s how
I learned my second lesson the whole
concept comfort zone stress own
impending zone was a great idea that I
learned when I was abroad in Germany
last spring I took a class in leadership
across culture thinking that open
beneficial for my international business
and this concept really stuck out to me
basically what the comfort zone stress
don’t panic zone theory suggests that as
human beings we all have three zones
around us comfort zone is what’s closest
to us and I’m sure all of you are quite
familiar with an idea of what comfort
zone you’re completely comfortable
you’re completely comfortable in it
you’re happy you don’t want to do
anything else that will change your
comfortable staked
however because you’re so happy because
we’re so complacent in this comfort zone
you’re not challenged and when you’re
not challenged you don’t grow
you don’t learn that’s why I encourage
you guys to break through into your
Cheston that’s where your colour or kind
of boy your stress because you’re being
exposed to new things that you’re not
familiar with but that’s how you grow
you you learn something new you become a
better version of yourself and then the
pent in the panic tones the outermost
stone that’s where you don’t really want
to go because that’s when your
subjective so many things that your
not comfortable comfortable with like
your bodies goes into panic shutdown
mode and just starts freaking out for
example you’ll be challenging yourself
to learn French and German and how to
play the piano taking on the new job
moves here you see the all of the same
time and you’re about it’s like I can’t
do that let’s think about it again
girlfriend so that’s why we should stay
in the stress zone the stress is
manageable
you take them your new test one that one
that one at the time so you start by
moving to your different city working a
different job let you start learning a
new skill one at a time steadily you
become better you know what used to be
your stress them well maybe in your
panic zone now turns you into a comfort
zone and it completely grow and grow
their comfort zone becomes bigger your
stress home becomes bigger and then so
does your panic zone so I encourage you
guys to break through your comfort zone
and really step into your stress zone so
you can become a better version of
yourself learn and grow as a human as a
student as a business leader as a
professional my third lesson coming goes
hand-in-hand with my second lesson about
comfort zones so after I decided I’m
gonna break through my comfort zone I’m
going to you know make the most of my
time in New Zealand and not be crying
every night I sat down and made a list
of things that I would like to try I was
like this is my chance to revenge myself
these people don’t know me they don’t
know my background I basically have a
new identity I can do whatever I want
with this so the first thing I did to
break through my comfort zone was that
turned to the girl sitting next to me in
commerce class I just don’t remember
that her name is Jessica would became
best friends after them I said Jessica
would you like to go to lunch with me we
have a dining hall it was quite scary it
was it was worth in saga like you think
the lines at dug out during lunch time
was bad you show don’t do st. Peter
school and look at little Ashland dining
hall people were savage so I was like I
don’t want to be alone anymore I want to
make friends and instead of saying oh no
no
one likes me no one wants to talk to me
I think I decided to reach out Rick’s in
my comfort zone using my English skill I
wasn’t really comfortable with and say
hey I want to get lunch she said sure
and I was that that was easy
so that’s why the third lesson is to
turn the stress in your environment into
your opportunities as this business
student I love the concept of having a
SWOT analysis anyone heard of a SWOT
analysis your strengths weaknesses
opportunities and threats well know that
not only applies to businesses that also
applies to you as a human being we all
have strengths and weaknesses we’ll all
face different threats and opportunities
in our environment and that should not
be avoided such should be confronted and
trained to your opportunities for
example when I went to Freiburg Germany
before I blended in Germany all of
Germany could no I knew was young and 9
yes and that was not good after that I
knew that was a threat to me so I turned
into opportunity to actually learn about
different culture about a different
language I used that as an opportunity
to bond with my flatmates I begged them
to teach me German they laugh and my
accent was fine after four months in
Germany I was comfortable to go to
Starbucks in order a venti americano in
perfect German they understood me it was
it was great so yeah well you smell that
not learning German was turned to
opportunity to learn and become a better
version of myself
another threat I faced when I came to
Wesleyan was I am NOT from here
obviously and I knew nothing about okay
that’s a lie I knew something about
American culture but I wasn’t familiar
with it so instead of hiding my room and
not socializing with anyone a training
trip an opportunity to learn about the
American culture to become front to
become friends with people what I did
was I join a lot of student clubs on
campus including Kappa Delta sorority
and other organizations and that’s how I
met so many wonderful wonderful people
on cam
this and they helped me grow they help
me they help me break from my comfort
zone they helped me become a better
version of myself so don’t be afraid
upset
don’t let a threats make you retreat
that your comfort zone
it’s tempting it’s comfortable but being
comfortable won’t magic grow it won’t
let you break through my fourth lesson
was instead of only having international
students break through on their own it
it should be a two-way two-way street
basically fortunately st. Peter School
in Illinois Wesleyan were both very very
welcoming and accommodating for
international students there were a lot
of culture clubs and workshops on campus
that I can go to but this shouldn’t only
be an institutional thing the mass of
students were coming to members I
encourage you to actually take the
initiative to make friends with people
from international background to learn
more about an international culture you
shouldn’t be relying an international
student who came from say China or Japan
who spoke probably minimal English and
make them break through the comfort zone
immediately and starts socializing with
everyone they meet on campus that’s not
realistic instead there should be you
know a give-and-take domestic students
reach out to Lim ask them for to lunch
ask them to dinner say hey do you want
to grab some coffee and that’s a great
way to socialize a lot of coffee yeah
we’re not saying no to anyone we
inviting me to coffee so next time when
there isn’t culture event on campus next
time there’s a workshop about the first
teen clusion we shouldn’t have just
international students or faculty and
staff attending domestic students you’ll
learn and they should step up their own
comfort zone to learn about other’s
culture of its background and become
more inclusive because by learning about
a different culture you grow we lay
something and hands to become better
version of yourself I’m gonna end this
with
a quote from Rapunzel and we all know if
a Disney Princess say that it’s legit
and we better listen to it so and does
the other than 10 movie tingle Rapunzel
Stan venture outside your comfort zone
the results are worth it and I can speak
from personal experience the results
definitely are thank you
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