By definition, culture can be customs, arts, social institutions or achievements of a particular nation, people or general social group. By lifestyle, however, culture is a reflection of one’s swagger.
America’s widespread myopic life views annoy me — the ethnocentrism and the egos. Though I understand how extremely fortunate we are in resources, if we don't already have something, we take it.
We are a land of consumers. We don't create; we simply absorb concepts, hire someone to innovate and market them, then call them our own. America is the land of opportunists.
I'm a woman of acculturation. I don't fit anywhere specifically, but am more so a canvas of all shades and cultures. As a little girl, it plagued me when I couldn't understand people who spoke in languages I didn’t know, so I learned different languages.
Many think it's a special gift or ability with which I was born, but I believe it was just my curiosity to view life from other perspectives and learn different ways. America needs to embrace this universal outlook with omniscient capability. With information easier to access than ever before, now is the opportune moment to be global.
Travel.
Here's the typical American idea of travel: Book a flight, book a hotel, see historic sites, the end. NO! If I wanted to be around a bunch of Americans, I would have driven to the grocery store. Seriously, what is the point of traveling to a foreign land and hardly leaving the resort?
Traveling should serve a dual purpose: to live and to learn. Do some research, rent a vacation home and stay amongst the natives. Don't take taxis everywhere or rent a car; learn the public transportation routes. Blend in, note the customs and assimilate to enhance your experience.
Live Abroad.
Sometimes traveling just isn't enough. If you have the opportunity, live abroad. If you don't have the opportunity, create it. It's a life-altering experience. Simple complexities, like not being able to read a label to purchase paprika in a supermarket, change our perspectives.
Be Adaptable.
Don't be the individual who is afraid to try new things. Be curious about the new. Embark on a new adventure and adapt to your surroundings — never limit your possibilities.
Education.
Traditional education is vastly important, but I’m referring to something else: the educational importance of the people, places and perspectives that you encounter.
Socrates once said "employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."
I love that I don't have to experience life for myself every time. In most situations, I evaluate the mistakes of others and try to avoid those myself.
Study a mentor’s strengths, weaknesses, failures and triumphs. Learn from nature and its dependency on itself. Comprehending these elements can intrinsically benefit you.
The world is larger than we know, which is why globalization is on the rise. People are beginning to realize that it is impossible to change the world without first changing themselves and knowing the world.
So, be cultured, acclimate to strange situations and constantly treat yourself as a blank canvas. Learn from everyone and everything, because knowledge is paramount.
Top Photo Courtesy: Instagram
