​Meaningful Tasks vs. Feeling Worthless in this New Malaysian Adventure

I’m discovering how much joy I get in having tasks to do or a plan for the day when I get up in the morning. Those tasks and that purpose keep me sane and thriving during this change in my life.

Coming to a new place is discombobulating. Disorienting. Daunting. I remember teaching community members to try writing a story using their non-dominant hand. Can you feel it?... The words are you and the story is you, but the effort to write is disconcerting. You look down at the paper and the writing is childish and scribbly—but you know you can write even if it doesn’t show up on your paper. That’s what it feels like to live in a new culture. You are still you, but things just don’t come as easily as when you were back home.

That’s why I’m so grateful for daily tasks, daily rituals, and healthier soul habits as I adjust to this new calling.