Our fear of the unknown
Unsinkable Storytelling Author: Farabi Khaleque
For some people, moving to a new city can be a dream come true – a chance to get a better job, make new friends, and ultimately, live a happy life. But then again, moving to a new city can be a real nightmare – being out of your comfort zone, away from your friends, confused and anxious. That’s exactly what happened to Farabi Khaleque.
The summer of 2019 might have been my most challenging summer yet. That’s the summer my family and I moved to a completely different place. I did not know whether I was going to fit in or not. I was also scared of what the unknown had reserved for me.
It was especially hard because I had to leave some of my best friends and people that I had known all the way from elementary school. But I knew I had to adjust in some way or another because this was going to be my reality from now.
As the summer was passing by, I was forced to sit in vast uncertainty for an extended period of time, because I had no idea what was going to happen and if I was going to be able to adjust myself to this new reality, such as school. It was devastating to realize that I was going into the 9th grade without my best friends by my side. It felt as if I was restarting everything all over again.
Now, as I just graduated high school, when I look back on what happened 3 years ago, I don’t mind it. I did have my ups and downs and challenges at home and at school, but I learned a lot from it. It not only taught me to get out of my comfort zone, but to also discover myself and in doing so, finding others who share the same values as me. If there is one thing, I hope you took away from this, it is to not be afraid of the unknown like I was.
We, as humans, tend to grasp onto our beliefs when we are least likely to know if they are true. We get scared easily once we are taken out of our comfort zone, even the most adventurous ones. Getting into the unknown terrifies us. Our minds fill up with a bunch of “what ifs” that most of the time, stop us from thinking about the positive aspects.
When I would think about moving to a new city, I only taught about the bad and negative parts of it. I never cared to think that there might be some good and positive to it.
So, whatever the situation you might face in the future, whether it is known or unknown, don’t be afraid and don’t let those fearful thoughts have any say in your life!
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Read Farabri’s interview here!