Now that I'm here, it has become evident that I'd lost a bit of compassion and tolerance. Not something that I really noticed back in London, as I was probably too busy planning the next day at work, putting out fires at the office, making time for the gym and generally running around trying to fit it all in and have a social life. I think the real problem (which we have all probably found at some point) is that I get so sucked into the petty issues which seem so big to me at the time. It's probably because I'm standing so close to these issues that they seem so gigantic. These "problems" seem to take over my life and they are often all I think about. Now that I'm far away from all the "drama" it doesn't seem so important anymore. There are far bigger problems out here for example, things we take so for granted. I know I've already mentioned it in my earlier post, but seriously, electricity and fuel are just things you expect back home in a first world country. Here, you're lucky if you can get a hot shower with a little bit of lighting, and extremely lucky if you leave your room in the morning with a fully charged phone.
Which I suppose leads me nicely on to my next challenge out here. I'm way too reliant on social media and being able to get a quick fix of updates and news from home. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for modern technology and don't dispute it's benefits. I'm a massive fan of Instagram and love posting photos so friends and family can see I'm doing ok. But.... If I really want to grow from this experience I need to cut back a little and try to experience the here and now. There's this advert on TV here talking about how we have become a society of checkers and we end up missing the one moment we're living in to check all the other moments that others are experiencing. It's time to start being a little more selfish with my moments and make them my own.