A Different Me
Anna Chen 2011-08-30
My name is Anna Chen, and I am in 11th grade. Under my aunt’s persuasion, my mom, my sister, and I moved to America. This year is the third year that we have been in the United States. Time really flies! I think life is like a dream.
I still remember when I was little, I didn’t talk very much because I was afraid that others would laugh at me or wouldn’t like me. Because I didn’t talk a lot, people thought that I was mad, so my classmates didn’t like to be with me. In fact, I didn’t like to be alone, and I didn’t like the feeling that I had no friends that I could talk to. After I moved to America, I was even more afraid to talk to others because of my lack of English skills.
My mom brought me to Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy to practice qigong before we moved to America, and very fortunately, we have an academy in Los Angelas. Therefore, we can continue to practice qigong to keep ourselves healthy, and Tai Ji Men is like a big family with many brothers and sisters. We often share our thoughts and feelings with one another because we trust one another. This has made me feel relaxed and comfortable, so I have started to share my thoughts.
I remember one day my Shifu, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, taught us how to talk, to use our hearts to touch others’, and to share with them our heartfelt thoughts. The teaching of Shifu gave me the courage to try, so I tried to talk to my classmates at my new school in America. At the beginning, it felt weird, but at least I had the courage to try. After a few times, I became more used to it and more natural. I am not only braver but also have made more friends. For example, today when a classmate of mine came up to me, although I didn’t know her, I complimented her first on her hair style because I thought it was very good. As a result, we have become friends. Actually making new friends is not that hard! I am very happy that I have more and more friends in school.
Looking back from now, I find that other members in the Tai Ji Men family have complimented and smiled at me very often, so I feel very warm and happy. Therefore, I feel I need to share my “big smile” and energy with everybody as well. Last Saturday, many of our members drove two hours to the house of two Tai Ji Men members, Michael and Susan. They invited their American friends, Indian friends, and Chinese friends. I shared with them in English my story about how I improved myself. I also led everyone to do an energetic “Energy” salute. At the same time, I gave my “Big Smile” to everyone. I am so happy that I have improved and become a different person. I hope everyone can grow as a person every day, so everyone can become a better person!
