I had a $100 and a Dream
6 years ago, I arrived in China with $1800 and hope for a better life.
It turned out that China had something else in store for me:
One of the roughest patches in my life.
I'm Amed, 28, a Moroccan living in Thailand.
This is my story working for a money-grabbing Chinese "ring"
I met an agent and an immigration officer.
They promised me a job in a big city with a fat salary.
It sounded too good to be true.
(Spoiler alert: it was.)
Being naive (and a little desperate), I bought it.
I reasoned, "how bad could it be?"
My agent instead kept me afloat with low-paid gigs.
12-hour days split between two schools.
I was breaking even.
I was getting a measly 40% while they pocketed the rest.
I had to do "visa runs" to keep working.
The visa officers scrutinized me, leaving me feeling powerless and alone.
Tears streamed down my face, a stranger in a strange land.
My future was hanging by a thread.
I didn't want to be a failure.
I spoke to a new agent and she got me a job in Beijing.
But that's a story for another time.
This, my friends, is a chunk of my crazy China adventure.
But here's the thing: my struggle paid off.
P.S.: I took this picture when I got to the Great Wall. I had about $100 and my hope of a better life.
How do you reduce stress?
Breathing more.
How do you ease anxiety?
Relaxing more.
99% of your problems can be fixed by the simplest and most obvious solution.
Self-care.
@themaxguidance I agree with you on this Max. I've been a people pleaser once.
Now it's hard for people to coerce me into things I don't want.
Liberating.