Hello @teacup5
I am quite happy where I am overall, however I know that there will always be room for improvement, and I have some issues that I still need to work on.
These include learning to embrace being single, socialise with others, not taking things too personally, and knowing the right time to be assertive while not being judgmental towards others.
I started to embrace being single and not getting upset or jealous over seeing people in relationships. I realised that there are many positives to being single, including not needing to worry about limitations that might exist in relationships. I discovered that loneliness can happen regardless of relationship status and that you need to seek validation or happiness within yourself rather than from others.
I am currently in a social group where I use this opportunity to practice having actual conversations with others, keeping the flow going without relying on a question-and-answer format. I am learning to include myself into the conversation and not wait for others to invite me to join.
I would like to share a story about the time where I had a conflict with one of my classmates in which I sent her a one-off message, thinking that I was being assertive. I told her that I find her behavior annoying, as I feel that she is being overly dramatic in class and it gets on my nerves.
I did not realise that I was being judgmental rather than assertive, and I took her behavior too personally, which caused me to think negatively of her and led to her being upset with me while telling me not to contact her again. She actually engaged in conversations with others that had nothing to do with me, and I took it too seriously.
This is where I need to work on not only stopping myself from taking things too personally but also initiating conversations with others to enhance my personal growth and self-improvement.
