Embracing the Unfamiliar

At 15, I stepped into the unknown.

One flight. One suitcase. One life changing journey.

My first time on a plane.

Sent to live in England ( from South America)

With an aunt I had never met.

The culture shock was immediate and intense:

🏘️ Houses joined together like a giant puzzle
🥶 Weather that chilled me to the bone
📚 A school straight out of Malory Towers (who else have read these?)
🚌 Buses that have an upstairs

To say that I felt like an alien in this new world would be an understatement.

The feeling of not belonging was overwhelming.

But as days turned into months, something began to shift.

I slowly adapted.

The unfamiliar became familiar.

The strange became my newish normal.

It has taught me that:

✅ In challenging times, we find a strength we didn’t know existed
✅ How we think about our struggles make a difference
✅ Our ability to adapt is far greater than we imagine
✅ Our past shapes us but doesn’t define us

Change can be lonely. frightening. draining. distressing.

It can also be transformational.

I’ve emerged stronger, bolder, independent, more flexible and infinitely more resilient.

Fate? I’ve spent the past 25 years leading transformational change in orgs like Barclays and the NHS.

Now, as an exec coach and consultant specialising in change, I help leaders navigate their own journeys of transformation.

💃 As Alan Watts said, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance.”

Have you faced significant changes in your life or career?
What did you learn about yourself ?