There are only two months left of The World Race. It’s hard to believe and it’s hard to deal with. My thoughts and emotions battle each other as part of me longs to be home and I miss my family and friends tremendously, while the other part of me can’t even imagine what it is going to be like for to leave the girls who have become my sisters over the past seven months. I am stuck balancing the eagerness of being home and staying fully present here in Thailand. I struggle with thinking of all the things I want to do when I get home and giving all of myself to the wonderful things I get to be apart of here.
With all of that being said, this week I re-discovered two principles that have helped me with the battle I am currently facing. First, I was reminded of something that has helped me to battle my struggle with staying present, something called the Mood Curve. This is a tool that maps out our natural emotional patterns. These patterns are split in three zones; A, B, and C. The A zone is full of excitement and eagerness, which inevitably turns into the B zone which is when we face challenges and even question giving up, and hopefully we are able to leave this zone and enter the C zone where hope returns and we are determined to persevere through. On my journey, I have already experienced all three of these zones. However, with the struggle of the race coming to an end I was in danger of slipping back into the B zone until this principle reminded me of the things I implemented in my life when I climbed into the C zone a few months ago. I was struck with the reality that I was letting challenges and obstacles drag me down and I hadn’t even noticed it. I was letting a bad moment turn into a bad day and a bad day turn into a bad week. This principle reminded me to search for the bright sides, to fight to find the good, and most importantly to remember why I am doing The World Race. This was a reality check that I didn’t even know I needed. This week I have seen the turnaround in myself. I have found joy and peace again in all of the small things that I do at ministry. I am ready to finish the race strong and with everything I have.
Second, I re-learned about a principle that has helped me to put my thoughts and desires for home in check. Of course, I still look forward to reuniting with my family and friends, however, because of this principle I am now able to look at the actuality of coming home will hold. While there will be joyous, happy moments, there will also be the struggle of readjusting to life outside of a mission minded group. This principle is called the Freedom V. This is a tool that helps us to balance freedom with self-governance; it helps us to set boundaries while still allowing us to live in freedom. While learning about this principle, I was recognized just how much freedom I am going to have when I get home compared to the limited freedom I have had on The Race. I realized that I am going to have to set strict boundaries for myself if I want to continue being successful and productive. I will be faced with re-discovering how to live in freedom while being responsible enough to continue to find peace within myself. The Freedom V has given me a way to implement this type of self-governance in my life when I do return home.
These principles truly opened my eyes to the struggles I have been going through lately and just how much that have impacted me. Now, I have the knowledge to empower myself to stay present in Thailand and complete The World Race with much growth, as well as build a prosperous life upon coming home.
