Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Putting everything into prospective

In an interview with Suzanne Collins I recently watched she said that the idea for Hunger Games came to her, when she switched channels on her TV. One channel was showing some kind of reality show, where bunch of teenagers were competing for cash. The other channel was providing updates on war in Syria, where people and children were dying.

Monday, April 9, 2012

I am a survivor

I have been reading the Hunger Games Trilogy over the long weekend and among lots of enjoyment I had reading them, they helped me realize something about myself. Like the main character of the books, I am a survivor. No matter what life throws at me, it won’t break me. Unsettle me – maybe, but never damage me beyond repair. And never will I go under without a battle.

It’s probably not the fact to be proud of, but getting to know myself better is an achievement for me – I was never good at reflection.

I believe this very feature makes me very adaptable to whatever changes I face. I am able to alter myself to not feel uncomfortable under the new circumstances. Like when I was a child, I was really sentimental about what home was. I cried for days, when I found out, that we were moving from the apartment where I’ve spent the first thirteen years of my life. I also was really upset when we sold the cottage where I used to spend summers.

But with time I made myself change the attitude – not that it changed on its own, I remember working on it. That’s what made me a good immigrant – I don’t miss many things, because it’s disturbing and I don’t let myself to get upset. Life’s too short for that kind of things and sad feelings don’t add much value to it.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Pick your battles

I used to be really stubborn in trying to prove my solution was the best possible for the situation. The scale of the problem or its significance to me personally did not really matter. Once I got started, I would not abandon the ship until either full victory or complete defeat were achieved.

Now I notice that I am more willing to step back and not escalate the whole situation by trying to get my point to the other party when I realize that the problem is not important to me. I guess I am a way better politician now as I am ready to give up my position in exchange for an ally. I do not surrender with a white flag, I just make the point of how I missed a different prospective in the situation and how this changes the whole approach of mine.