This week I reached out to my expat friends and asked them a question....
What do expats wish for?
Those who know me know that I like questions. This week I reached out to my expat friends to ask them a question. I am sure most of you have heard it before, if not recently then in your childhood from The thousand and one nights tales, namely: “If I Could Grant You One Wish, What Would It Be?
My goal was to encourage them to dream big, to activate the power of imagination, to tap into those deeply hidden desires. The amount of feedback has been staggering, so I hope I did manage to activate their aspirations, at least to some extent.
So what do expats wish for? I am certain you are as curious as I was when sorting through the answers to see what would make it to the top of the expat wish list...
Expats are fairly unanimous in terms of their one wish
Of course winning the lottery was among the answers, and less paperwork - obviously, fair treatment for everyone, a dream job for some, learning German for others, mastering Dutch to perfection, letting go of the past and constant comparisons. However, what most wished for was for Covid to be over to be able to meet new friends and socialise again, to visit family back home.
So I guess no surprise there although the current situation does impact expats to a bigger extent I dare say. Living abroad, expats are logically away from their families, so they rely on their friendships. Many say that their local network is like their family. I was an expat for 20 years and having a strong network of friends was extremely important to me. Not that it necessarily replaces a family but it is a fuel for many.
Also most expats go back home on average once a year to visit their family and now with this option being out of the question too for many, how can you replace a hug, a good laugh, an intimate face-to-face chat if they are irreplaceable without a doubt?
How can you replace a hug, a good laugh, an intimate face-to-face chat if they are irreplaceable without a doubt?
How can you thrive if people, social interactions, making new friends are your nr 1 fuel to thrive? If this is what you are struggling with the most, how risky would it be to change the fuel? If not social interaction, then what else energises you?
Hmm… I’d propose to instead of focusing on what is missing to consider what IS there, what IS available.
How else can you recharge?
What else feeds your soul?
We can start small. Is there sun where you are currently at? A forest? A lake, or a beach? Or a park? Or you can go on a hunt inside you...
I don’t know your capacities, your aspirations, your longings, your secret talents. But surely something wonderful is sheltered inside you. You could go on a hunt to uncover this something.
Go on a hunt to uncover what's sheltered within you
I went to sit by the lake yesterday.
I soaked up the sun.
I smelt spring in the forest.
I observed ducks diving in the lake looking for food.
And while at it, I came up with the idea for this article.
While we cannot “get rid of the pandemic” we can go on that hunt and find what energises us, what makes us forget to eat, what we adore doing and what we can lose ourselves in for hours
Going on that hunt to uncover it is called creative living.
So how about CREATIVE LIVING as that ONE wish?
If you prefer THRIVING rather than managing, let's not procrastinate any longer. Book your discovery call here:
Comments