“Be the change you want to see in the world."
- Mahatma Gandhi
Although the chaos I have been through now in all aspects of my life, I still remember when I was 16 years old, I was dreaming of having a good future and becoming a successful young woman, and changing the world when I grew up. It wouldn’t happen until I traveled to study abroad not in any country, but only in the United States of America.
I was obsessed with traveling to the USA, it was my biggest dream since my childhood to be in the wonderland living the American dream, so during my university year, I studied hard and participated in many student and community service activities. After this hard work, I was lucky enough to receive one of the most difficult scholarships from the U.S. embassy in Cairo and the Department of State. My dream came true and I finally traveled to my dream land, or as I thought at this time.
When I was in the USA I studied for a few short weeks with the Dialogue Institute at Temple University, but it was a turning point in my life. I studied religious pluralism, diversity of cultures, and policy, and learned more about American society close up. I studied Islam from a Western perspective, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. I discovered new religions that I have never heard about before - like the Quakers - and I lived with them in the heart of the Philadelphia forest to study more about them and their leader William Penn, and how they made a significant impact in the foundation of the principles of the American constitution and the American policy.
This heavy experience shifted me from a closed-minded person to a person who is always eager to learn about themself, not only from the difficult experiences of life, but also from others, and let me accept not only different ideas than mine but also the ideas that are completely against mine.
Now I believe in humanity and believe that everyone in this life has their own journey in which they wake up to themself, then to their shadow, and then to their potential. I have to respect every human being on the earth - as life is not a straight path - it is a trial and error and trying different things by figuring yourself out who you are and who you are not.
And finally, I accept the fact that I can change the world by changing myself, and by being kind to myself and everyone.
This blog post was written by a Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) Alumni - a program that the Dialogue Institute implements in partnership with Meridian International and the United States State Department. To find out more about the SUSI program, click here.
