It’s hard to believe I’ve been living in the Philippines and the small coastal town of Dumaguete for one year. And what a year it was.
Before embarking on the long 30 hour flight from the cloudy cold landscape of Syracuse, NY to the azure skies and blistering heat of the Philippines in late March 2016, I watched as many videos and read as many articles as I could find to prepare me for this adventure of a lifetime.
Looking back, no matter how much information I inhaled, nothing could prepare me for the my personal transformation over the last 365. Nothing.
Let’s face it, moving overseas is a scary undertaking. You’ve got to be brave or insane or a little of both. Though as far back as I can remember, I always had a burning desire to live on the other side of the world. A conviction to immerse myself in a culture where beginners mind forced me to brush the edges of my comfort zone.
For the longest time I was an information junkie. I’d analyze a situation eight ways to Sunday before making a decision. I was deathly afraid of making a mistake. Fear was my driving motivation. I didn’t want to make a wrong decision.
I would experience paralysis from an overdose of analysis. Constantly digging for information to the point I was frozen in time for months, years, and sometimes decades.
What I’ve learned over the past year, living in the jungle of SE Asia, is to be cognizant of my personal transformation. I’m a different person from a year ago. A subject for a future post.
My favorite quote regarding knowing if and when you’re ready comes from singer, songwriter, record producer and actor, Lyle Lovett. In the Esquire magazine feature “What I’ve Learned,” Lyle said:
“I’ve never been ready to do a single thing I’ve ever done in my life. I haven’t been prepared enough, haven’t studied enough, haven’t known enough. You can never be ready. There’s just so much to know.“
Was I ready to move to a foreign country? Absolutely not. There’s just so much to know.
I believe in the 80% rule. Once you feel 80% ready, launch. You’ll figure out the other 20% after you’re airborne.
If you wait too long to contemplate if you’re ready? You might miss the one in a lifetime opportunity for personal transformation.
This is so true! There will never be a better moment to make the change you long for than this moment. At some point we must let go of the fear and jump all in. Thanks for your encouraging words and thanks to Lyle as well :)!
I apologize for the delayed reply Silvia. Thank you for your comments. I hope you’re safe, healthy, and everything in your world is heading in the right direction. Best of luck to you and your next chapter whatever that might be. Let me know how I can support you. Take care.