Grenada Blog - Part 5

People often ask me, when I announce that I am moving to a new country, if I know anyone in the location that I am about to start a new life in. The answer is almost always no.

I can understand the shock that my answer elicits and why it might be hard for a lot of people to understand why I do this so regularly. I am closing in on 10 different countries that I have lived in now.

Essentially, the root of this lifestyle choice comes from a belief that there cannot be any growth in comfort. As enviously as I may look at the social media of friends and family, and feel I am missing out by being so far away, deep down I know that the personal and professional growth I desire is impossible if don't put myself in situations that stretch me beyond where I would if I was at home.

Its crucial to understand who you are, for good and bad. Sometimes facing painful truths about yourself is the key to advancing. When I was younger I got called lazy and selfish and found it very hard to take. I made a ton of excuses to avoid even exploring that there might be an element of truth to what was said, despite knowing at a gut level that it was true and that I was offering a diminished version of myself to the people around me.

An uncompromising self-appraisal is the only way that I believe you can create the conditions to achieve your dreams. It was a long and difficult process to get to the point where I accepted that for me to grow I would have to address these character traits that I am not proud of. As with everything in life there are no easy fixes and its a daily choice between what's natural and what's correct.

In amongst the gratitude I feel for exploring and experiencing new countries, cultures and ideas there is also a huge benefit for me to be in environments where I must live consciously and purposefully to build relationships, listen, feel uncomfortable, lonely and lost at times. It pushes me to learn how to be someone who can give service to others.

Through the journey to this point I have grown to understand that the only cure to feelings of depression, narcissism, self-absorption is to add value to other people's lives. Whatever negative feelings I might wake up with, just being present and useful for the young people that I work with gives me a calmness and fulfilment that can only really be defined as truth.

Its with this truth that I embrace my new challenge in Grenada and hope to once again navigate the isolation on road to better serving those who I have given the responsibility of supporting and inspiring on their own journeys.