A Romanian social activist recommends giving yourself solitude to protect your strength and values.
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>Editor’s note: Romania is a country struggling to find its place in the European Union’s economy. One of the biggest problems is a lack of adequate job training for Romanian youth. As a social activist in Romania, Boticelli has some advice about solitude.
I am not an introvert, but…
Every time I leave my house, I feel like I am stepping out into a parallel universe. The outside world is so strange and difficult to adapt to most of the time. Being a social activist, being aware, being compassionate can all take their toll the moment you are immersed in society.
Dealing with it.
I cut off watching TV 5 years ago. No news, no updates, nothing. No extra distracting chatter. I might be the most boring person for a bit of small talk because I have no clue what the celebrities are doing, or what was the top story on the 5 o’clock news. My small talk social skills might have suffered, but quitting TV has given me a lot of peace.
I think of myself as a strong person with strong values, yet this fast running world I face is affecting me everyday when I am leave my house. Cutting out the TV chatter helps, yet I still find myself questioning my self worth, my appearance, my competence, or my parenting skills
I start, from time to time, to judge people based on what they have, their fortune, or their appearance. I guess I am pretty lucky because this judgement causes me a lot of pain. The pain makes me quickly go to my inner core, to my compassion. I find my way back through books and music. Basically, through solitude.
I am not at all an introvert, but I do love sitting with my favorite trio: me, myself, and I. We listen to what my soul has to say about my situation, or about the people I am dealing with. Without the distracting chatter, we can hear my soul.
Turn of the TV, shut off the laptop, put the mobile on silent. Find yourself some solitude to save your strength
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