The women’s majlis: Finding my way on a life journey

Life for me has been always magical and rosy. As a child, the word fear didn't resonate with me. I would always explore life with infinite curiosity for discovery and a thirst for knowledge. I would read everything I laid my eyes on. Street signs, shops banners, ingredient labels – you name it. My favourite two books were the dictionary and encyclopaedia. I believed I could be anything I wanted and viewed the world as an endless road of possibilities.

One day, I went to sleep feeling excited for tomorrow, but when I woke up, I was an adult. That day, my friends, our house and my life were all different. I was different. I don't recall graduating from childhood, but I had to say goodbye.

The demands of adulthood seemed to rush me through life. That endless road of possibilities looked narrower now and a little crowded. I felt as though I had to run as fast as I could to reach somewhere that I wasn't sure about. I just knew I had to reach somewhere in the race of life. But I couldn't run anymore and I had to stop and rest.

I knew deep down I was looking for something. Only I wasn't sure what it was. Every step I took increased my curiosity levels. There were so many answers for questions I didn't even ask.

I was then introduced to counselling, which feeds my eagerness to understand humans' interactions with their environment and each other. One of the rules for counselling is guaranteeing confidentiality and no judgement whatsoever. Transparency and honesty are encouraged to get the maximum therapeutic benefits.

I have fallen in love with counselling in a group setting. Given my curious nature, I found excitement in discovering, reading, exploring and analysing people's thoughts and feelings. Whether through spoken words or unspoken body language, I was a keen observer who would take whatever I could get and break it into pieces.

For me, understanding people is like performing delicate surgery. You have to be extra careful handling the words you pull out and the feelings you put in the minds you're treating, because people present their raw material after being guaranteed safety from harsh judgements. They expose their vulnerabilities and let their emotions speak freely. Every word that comes out of their mouth feels as if it's their first. They can feel their breath as if they have just learnt how to breathe. They see each other differently.

I've discovered we're all still children. We never said goodbye to childhood. Fear was at the start of our adulthood road, so we closed our eyes and ran as fast as we could. The power of human connection is beyond measure. Fear is nothing but a mirage that will fade as we connect and move forward.

Zainab Al Mousawi is studying for a master's in clinical social work at the University of Melbourne.

If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, email Melinda Healy at [e-mail].