Small Things Big Impact!

      Have you ever thought that some of the things you have learned from some people, the advice you got from random people, or how some people carried themselves always stick with you forever? I always remember my manager's advice when I started my career in the United States. My job entailed a lot of verbal communication with various people throughout the day, especially on the telephone. One day there were some issues, and in the end, we figured out it was due to miscommunication. She advised me that to communicate professionally, clearly, and efficiently; I need to write down the things I need to speak to get all the pertinent information. She told me that writing things down will also eliminate the chances of being misconstrued because we might use the wrong words when we do not write down the things. Writing content in advance will also help sound confident (no need to think of words, less pause). To this date, I use that advice in my professional and personal life. That is one of the best pieces of advice I have received.

      When I was very new to this country, I used to live in graduate housing, and my roommate taught me a lot about the ways of life in this country. She did her undergraduate studies here, so she was a pro. She taught me life skills to navigate life in this country. She taught me how to search the internet, order a cab (these were the old days when we did not have Uber), order books from the library, do grocery shopping, and read maps (before the age of GPS and smartphones). She taught me how to travel alone and navigate big cities like Chicago. In the beginning, it was terrifying. However, This helped me build a lot of self-confidence. To this date, the confidence I have today is the ripple effect of those times.

      When I was growing up, my grandparents had orange orchards in a village in Nepal. They used to sell oranges, and Grandma used to do math. I must have been in high school at the time. I always wondered how Grandma did the math because she never attended school. One day out of my concern, I asked Grandma how she did the math and if she was sure she was not being taken advantage of. She told to be not to worry because, at that time, she was selling one orange for Rs. 1.  And did her math on a multiple of 20 and called that method " Bisa=20 in Nepali" So two twenty is  40, 3 twenty 60, and so on.  So nowadays, whenever I have self-doubt, I remember that if Grandma can figure out her life with that basic knowledge and resources, I can do it myself.

     My husband of 15 years, who never held my hand (not literally), never interfered, and let me make my own mistakes, is the biggest favor he has done for me. I needed to learn how to manage time to take classes for my graduate studies and get my nursing license simultaneously. In addition, I figured out how to look for jobs and how to prepare for interviews, etc. He did not help me navigate these things, so I had to learn how to improve my English. Hence I discovered the writing center on those days, and they helped me write effectively in English. I remember the first time I took online classes and did not realize an assignment was due on the first day of class.  I also learned basic life skills in the United States: calling insurance companies when your claim is denied.  Granted, I have made many mistakes and did not take the most efficient routes to complete these tasks. However,  I am very thankful that he did not interfere and let me help build my learning curve. I learned a lot of things unintentionally during those processes. 

       So today, when someone asks me for immigration issues or finds jobs or advice on health insurance and how to deal with the health care system and how it functions, I have procured the skills and ability to do so. I can point them to the right resources.  Even if the task or the project seems daunting initially, I am confident I  can research and find avenues to complete the job. I have applied many of these acquired skills to my professional life, such as brainstorming to optimize workflow. All of the skills, resources, and confidence I have today is by navigating through all the basic life skills. This helped me realize that starting the process and working with tenacity will lead to something substantial and valuable. So on the surface, it might seem we are learning or taking small steps in life every day. However, they have a significant impact on our life and can also uplift lives around us.