Being an Expat has a Positive Impact on You and the World Around You

In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Obama is an Expat's Dream Come True: The Son of a Global Citizen, the expat author discusses the the positive impact that one can make in the world through the understanding we develop as an expat or global citizen. Through living in different cultures, one develops "the ability to see the similarities between us all rather than what separates us", which can lead to choices which transcend differences, unite people and move communities towards peace instead of conflict. According to the author, that sort of vision and understanding were sorely lacking "in the Bush years" and hopes that Obama, having been given the gift of growing up as an expat, can bring America into a future that Americans "can all be proud of".

I would agree that developing a certain level of cultural intelligence is difficult to do without living abroad.  All of the reading world news or vacationing overseas cannot replace the learning that happens from experience day-to-day life in another country.  Learning to respect and honor different ways of being and doing without rejecting one's own beliefs and values while engaging with people and the world is not an easy task without regular practice. Given the power that cultural intelligence can have on how people operate at work, in business, with their friends and family and in their community, one could argue that even a short-term "expat experience" would not only help a person's personal and professional life, but their community and even their country as well.

Your Expat Success Tip: If you are already an expat, think back to a time when you were able to see the similarities in disparate groups or elements and used that knowledge to bring clarity or resolution to a problem. Replay it in your mind and give that perspective a name. Regularly use that perspective to deal with problems - large or small - that arise on a day-to-day basis to build your cultural intelligence muscle.  If you are not an expat, explore opportunities to spend some time living in another country (and stay tuned for more resources on that topic in future blog posts!).