In mainstream western culture (especially in English-speaking countries), people are less relaxed, compared to those who come from Eastern European countries, Spain and Italy. I discovered this when I went on a trip to Italy this year. 😊
I regret a text message that I sent….
A while ago, I was in a dating situation with a guy that I was attracted to. But I sent him a text message that I really regret. So, I thought he must think I’m an unappealing mess.
Then I went to Italy and met Mia, an Italian lady who has become a close friend of mine. She told me something that changed my perspective completely.
“Don’t assume that he is reading so much from that text message,” says Mia, “He can’t see your soul just because of one text message. I did something similar in the past, and then I asked that person about it, but he told me that he couldn’t even remember what I said!”
Suddenly, I realized that what Mia told me is absolutely true. We rarely pay too much attention to a text message that we receive on the phone because there are simply too many distractions on a smartphone: Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, emails, etc. Every day our phones are bombarded with all sorts of messages from everywhere, so we don’t really have the bandwidth to remember each and every message that we have read.
Every new interaction is an opportunity to change our image.
“You know what, every new interaction that you have with this person is an opportunity to change your image in his eyes,” says Mia, “Every day you have the power to reinvent yourself if you like.”
That blew my mind. My trip to Italy is very fruitful.
Indeed, if I sent a wrong text message that I regret, I can send him another text message to laugh at myself or to apologize to him. There is nothing wrong with that.
By the way, I actually sent him a new message to laugh at myself later on. Here is what happened: He told me that the message that I regret was the best text message that he has ever received because that’s the most endearing, adorable and charming version of me. 😉
“This trip to Italy has fundamentally changed the way I look at communication with others.”
