- Azra Syakirah
Human Interaction.
In my interview with Men's Folio I mentioned:
"I’ve discovered and rediscovered the love I have for myself, the people around me, the old and new friends, and just humanity in general. I’m in love with the interactions we have with each other, the things we learn from one another, and how someone can easily change a person without even knowing it. It’s so beautiful."
I've been consciously reaching out and making an effort to meet new people in hopes to cure, or at least get used to, my social anxiety. I'm a long way from where I want to be and I am still on my journey — it's a lifelong journey. I learned that despite wanting to reschedule that coffee date, or rephrasing a certain opinion in my mind a zillion and one times because I don't want to offend or sound stupid, I love the interaction. It is emotionally exhausting and mentally tolling, and I could never get comfortable with first encounters and awkward silences, but I love going through it all.
I love chancing upon someone who thinks so alike as you, who views the world so similar to yours, but has a complete 360º opposite upbringing and lifestyle and background; the conversations about how we derived to where we are now. Or someone who is nothing like yourself, who you cannot relate to/with, who you have to struggle to keep a chat going. Either way they are experiences and encounters so priceless and beautiful. I learned countless of things ever since I started out on this venture, even when I only end up seeing them only once, or I got lucky and I connected really well with them and become good friends.
The world doesn't just consist of buildings and nature. Life isn't just about having a successful career and a happily ever after. The chase of knowledge and experiences, interactions and connections, is what I reckon people often don't see the beauty of, but it's something I've been focusing on recently.
And those are just my thoughts for your penny's worth x