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My Values as a life-long Expat & your Global Mobility Trainer
I shared these images as a series on my Instagram account in July and the feedback was so positive I thought it would be worthwhile to hold on to them here.
Knowing our values can help us focus our energy on what is truly important to us – on an everyday level, when making big or small decisions, setting boundaries in cultural contexts, or building a business.
Coaching can help narrow your list of values down from dozens that appeal to you to the few that really resonate. This can help you make decisions that always feel “right”.
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Curiosity is at the core of my being – a quick glance at my podcast and physical libraries reflects this. This is a core value that I build my coaching & training on and that drives me as a mother.
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Identifying a value doesn’t mean we always act according to it but we would like to strive towards it.
Authenticity as a value means I want to be the real me, unfiltered. I find this surprisingly hard. As a global nomad & TCK I grew up learning to adapt, to be a cultural chameleon. This can mean that sometimes my reflex is to blend in, rather than stick out (and there’s no denying there are occasions when this is a useful skill).
Today I know we are all unique and should be proud of ourselves and who we are.
Today I strive to step out as me and be authentic and genuine in all I do.
Today I am working on this.
Here is a value I try hard to live. While the other two come relatively easily, I have to remind myself to be joyful sometimes.
The older I get and the more independent our children become, the more I find myself worrying and becoming more anxious and controlling. Blame it on being an engineer, a first-born, or just generally uptight 😂.
By identifying joy as a value and working towards it, I try to consciously bring joyfulness and lightness into our lives and my coaching and training.
And things we do regularly become habits, right? Because, let’s be honest, no one should take themselves too seriously and life is going to happen – how we handle it is what leaves an impression on others and impacts how we see ourselves. So smile and wave and have a good laugh today. Because, why not?!
Being adventurous is a bonus value that wraps all the others up together. Together curiosity, authenticity, and joyfulness make for an adventurous spirit. This does not necessarily mean bungee jumping off the highest cliff in your current location!
Having an adventurous spirit helps us adjust to expat life. It means we are authentically curious about the culture, history, language and food (glorious food!) of our host country. Being adventurous can help us find joy in unique discoveries and appreciation of small pleasures. It can make all the difference between assignment success and failure.
If you feel stuck or like you’ve lost your sense of adventure, have you considered Expat coaching? It can help you rediscover your spirit of adventure so you can enjoy the Expat ride you’re on again.
Want to learn more about coaching? Read this post.
