When I went into that plane all my dreams an expectations about the new life waiting for me were my main baggage. I never imagined that after 10 hours not only I would have moved in space but also that my identity would be challenged in such a dramatic way.
At home I had many networks: classmates, relatives, colleagues. There I was a recognised professional having a valuable experience acquired through many years working in key organisations. Somehow I had developed an identity linked to the context: my family, my friends, my titles and, my working experience. All of them meant nothing in my new destination.
The first symptoms of my new challenge started to manifest as I went through the job searching process: no networks to use, my titles had no value here and my working experience was systematically underestimated. And there it was, the core of the main challenge that migration had to offer: who am I?
It was a tough process, especially because I was not aware of what was going on. It could be said that I was a passive victim of my own process. But gradually with a big effort and using several personal development techniques I managed to stand-up and see the process from a different perspective, the one given by been in control of my own life.
Observed from there, the challenge became an opportunity. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore and find a deeper answer to ‘the who am I’ question. It was then possible to find an answer that was not based on context factors but on my heart. It lead me to get rid of those images and believes that were not in line with who I really am and therefore to walk lightly.
The gains from such process are many. But with no doubts, the main one is that my new path is not based on networks, classmates, relatives, etc. but, instead, is based in a very simple answer: I am a teacher and my task is to support others to find their own path, a path with heart.
