The Three C's

I have been taking success coaching as a part of my tutoring company's trial package over the last three months.

So on a lukewarm night in the foothills of Dhasa, as the sun set, I huddled into the corner of my room and placed my laptop on the optimal cushioning of the comforter to receive a strong wifi signal.

Since arriving, I have found great comfort in seeing a familiar face since arriving in India. My coach-V- has a waiting screen filled with affirmations I appreciated seeing tonight.

We meet every Thursday from 10:00-11:00 am EST, roughly 7:30-8:30m here. Many events have unfolded over the last week since I'd seen V. I lost hearing in my left ear, paired with a constant high-pitched ringing. I spent my free time producing cotton pads from a large roll of cotton the pharmacy provided me. I've also been sent on a mini-mission by a Geshe-la here at the Nechung Monastery to look into the sources regarding Pehar's arrival in Tibet and the discrepancy between the 12th and 15th centuries. I don't feel like a historian here because I am not trained. I feel like I'm impersonating one at a large conference in the Himalayas. I also went to the local TCV soccer game, and on the hike up, I was blasting Drake's "Forever." I didn't realize how close my music was to the monks passing by because their footsteps resembled a mouse's.

But, among the slight miscalculations and cotton ball creations, I have enjoyed reflecting on the chaos with Coach V. We talked alot about the idea of the 3-C's that has been recurring in my life,

1) Calm

2) Care

3) Control

I am constantly functioning at a high rate of predicting what's to come next, a byproduct of being the eldest daughter in an immigrant household. A few months ago, Coach V said that she used to hear me say,

"Endure, I need to endure this. I need to just keep going" in my daily vernacular. However, my language has been filled with, "I'm open to chaos, I accept care, and I am more at ease."

Accepting these three C's has meant learning that calm, care, and control is not synonymous with tranquility and a silent mind. I have been slowly learning to accept that being gentle with myself on this trip by allowing myself to rest, pushing myself to call for a taxi when I'm shy, eating as many rotis as I want, and simply enjoying the consistency of inconsistency that occurs in my life is more than enough.

In the last session, I said I like to operate from a place of Child-like curiosity. When we are young, we are still learning the norms of socialization in our communities but also learning to question them. I want the rest of my adult life to remain in a place of the spry inquisition because that means I am living in growth.

I've been so lucky to find people here in Dhasa and an advisor who reminds me that productivity is but a small measure of success.

More to come!

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