Welcome to Issue #13 of Thought Shot - a newsletter on becoming purpose-driven leaders.
I am so excited to be back to writing after a brief hiatus. If you were wondering where I was, read on!
And keep sharing your love, it makes me keep going with this newsletter.
Make sure to not miss the next edition -
"Has it really been a year already?"
I woke up this morning to a text message from my friend that immediately caught my attention. Instantly, I found myself sitting upright in bed.
As I absorbed the words, a surge of emotions coursed through me. My friend's message held a deeper significance—an anniversary.
Exactly one year ago, we had made a bold, life changing decision. And today it is the first anniversary of that momentous milestone: our move to Canada.
As I looked around the room at pictures lining the walls, the new memories I had made over this year flooded me. Each picture held a memory - of us in this new land.
A million thoughts were whirling around in my mind, so I quickly grabbed my computer to write them down for this issue.
The Change
The passing year was a whirlwind—no, that's an understatement.
Moving cities is significant. But moving countries with a child, leaving behind our comfortable lives, friends, and family—indescribable.
The days often blurred together, a rapid succession of challenges and adjustments - new streets, unfamiliar faces, and a foreign rhythm to our lives.
In fact the first few days, everything felt a little overwhelming. Everything was different than what we were used to. Vehicles drove on a different side of the road - we even missed the bus many times since we were on waiting on the wrong side. Shops looked different, street names sounded different. Paperwork was endless. Even Indian food in restaurants tasted different.
Leaving behind our comfort zone was daunting, but we decided to embrace the unknown with excitement and openness.
We set up our new home together (again). My daughter started kindergarten - and thankfully fit right in. We saw four seasons pass by in a beautiful country. We learnt ice skating as a family on cold nights, stood in minus 18 degrees to see the Christmas Parade. We build a whole new circle of friends and built a support system from scratch, finding solace in fellow expats and welcoming locals.
We missed familiar faces and the familiarity of home. But the opportunities, the experiences—it made it all worthwhile.
I started working at a leading global technology consulting firm with an amazing team of innovators and design thinkers. Started serving on the Board of a nonprofit organization working on social equity in Toronto. Was one of 200 people selected as part of LinkedIn’s first Creator Accelerator Program. Got interviewed on my move to Canada.
As I write this list, all I feel today is grateful.
The last whole year brought challenges - but also brought beauty, joy and wonder with it.
Different is Sometimes Better
As this first year draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on our decision.
Moving countries—it was more than a mere change of scenery. It was a transformative journey of self-discovery, pushing us to grow, adapt, and redefine our lives.
I learnt many things but two things really stuck - being different and seeing differences.
Here’s what I mean!
You Are Different - Own It!
In the first few months, I found myself reflecting deeply on my identity, values, and aspirations. In many ways, I felt no longer like the same person that I was back in India. In fact, I was not even perceived the same way.
Almost overnight, I became an immigrant brown woman/person of color. Earlier it threw me a little. But eventually I learnt to be proud of it.
I mean it - I now own this new identity!
Here’s how I look at myself now. I am an immigrant - which means I am truly open and eager to learn, comfortable with change and resilient to challenges - I moved halfway around the world with a suitcase, didn’t I?
I am a brown woman - which means I have a different ethnicity and a wealth of experience and knowledge about a completely different part of the world. I speak many languages other than English. And all of this helps me at work as well as social interactions - where I bring forth a global perspective, question assumptions, feel comfortable with intercultural communications and focus on inclusion and diversity.
I don’t think I am anything special. But at the same time, each of us are special in our own unique ways right!
See The Difference - Embrace It!
When we first moved, the elevator became my daily surprise. Our city - as well as our building - is filled with people of various nationalities. And exiting or entering the elevator - greetings and conversations awaited.
A simple "Have a good day" or a friendly chat sparked connections in mere seconds. Strangers became familiar faces, breaking the ice with small talk. Each encounter in the elevator reminded me of the beauty in our differences and the shared human experience. As the doors closed, we embarked on our separate journeys. But we carried the connection of a fleeting moment with us.
I have travelled extensively before. But only when I left my home country and moved to a new place, I realized just how diverse the world is. It was sometimes challenging, but it also opened my eyes to different ways of living.
My co-workers are from across the globe. So are my new ‘mom’ friends. They have different beliefs, social norms and cultural quirks. And I have my own too.
Cultural awareness taught me the art of respectful adaptation. I learned to adapt my behavior while staying true to myself. I found the balance between fitting in and honoring my identity, adapting without losing authenticity.
Moving Forward
As I navigated my way around in a new country over the last year, I had my hands and mind full. So I had stepped away from writing newsletters during this period. But my passion for connecting with you, my readers, remained unwavering.
As you might know, I started ThoughShot to write about ‘becoming purpose driven leaders’. I write about my experiments, learnings, failures, and stories sprinkled with helpful tools and frameworks.
I feel more strongly than ever that we need a different kind of leadership today. Leaders who think about “What impact am I creating?”. Leaders who think not just about economic impact but also the impact on the planet. Impact on humans.
This hiatus has been an opportunity to rejuvenate my creativity, gather inspiration, and hopefully emerge with fresh ideas and perspectives.
I hope you continue to ride along with me in this journey. Let’s do this!
Here are some of my past essays for you to check out:
As I close for today, think about this -
What is the one thing that makes you feel a little different from others?
Now flip it on its head - its time to own it.
That’s all for today folks. Now, go shine!
Great to see you are settling in to our country! Hope it is all your expected. (would be a good idea for a newsletter post - "What I thought before and after my move across the globe to a different country"). See you around, Roselin! 👋
Thanks Paul - I love that idea for the post.
Yes, settling in and enjoying everything so far :-) Hope you are well!