Today when I look back at all the positive and negative consequences of my fateful decision to leave Finland my Fatherland, I can say with my hand on my heart that the premature cut of my umbilical cord with my home country has been a truly positive experience. I know I took moving abroad seriously. It was uncomfortable at times, but probably the most uncomfortable aspect of it all would have been the alternative - staying at home and dying without having really loved or lived.

Although the deep psychological trauma I would suffer as a result of leaving my home country somewhat clouds my current perception of the moments surrounding this experience – the biggest single memory I have of that moment is - I knew I wanted out from there and definitely was not going back anytime soon.
As far as I could see, my home country, usually, among the top in the world for education, social security, and economical development had nothing to offer for a bored graduated student like me. I did not give a penny of the pro-Nordic propaganda screaming about the country’s gender and economic equality, high levels of trust, social cohesion, life-work balance, and so on. The latter things are important and back then I probably took all my freedoms for granted.

6 years of studies were behind, it was spring in Helsinki and I was about to graduate from my studies. I wanted out - as fast as humanly possible.

Fear in a new place When people ask me whether it was worth it to move abroad, I say yes. I encourage people to travel the world and move abroad. There is nothing but a win-win in moving abroad. That doesn’t mean it is always easy. You are going to a new place with new people who think differently than you about things. Move to a country where for a long and indeterminate period, you will just be an alien with a funny accent, sometimes desperate to fit in, and, depending on where you move, someone that also “looks different”: you can be considered a threat, a job stealer, even an outcast.

Fitting in and initial excitement The initial excitement of being somewhere new will fade and you’ll be left with all the problems you thought you moved away from and new ones that come along with leaving home. Dealing with years of built-up issues can make it incredibly difficult to keep yourself intact. And we can safely say that every one of us has built-up issues that start popping up once we hit the ‘out from the comfort zone’ button. The first years abroad are usually tougher. For me, it usually takes 6 months to get comfortable in a new place. This is the time it takes to know a bit around, get some acquaintances, and experience the first impression.
Even small things like in the beginning can seem like a struggle. And because you are alone without your native friends and support network, even small setbacks can feel overwhelming. This is why it is important to establish a local network. I do not know one single person, who has moved abroad and at some point has not felt alone and broken. You are not a coward. You are a normal human with normal feelings in reaction to the challenges of being in a foreign place without your native friends or family. And it is healthy to acknowledge these feelings. With adjusting to new cultures come feeling out of place and lonely.

Connect with other like-minded people You can also connect with other expats. With foreigners that are living outside of their home country I share the curiosity for the unknown and an exploratory mindset, among other things. You have faced a basic set of similar kinds of fears, challenges and obstacles. So even if you did not have similar schooling, cultural background or weather conditions – you are now sharing and bonding thanks to identical challenges or mutual decisions made. You can always say that a foreigner is a courageous character.

When you travel abroad, something will change. And that change will not always be smooth. I'm reminded of the many times that I've had to use reprogramming to help myself and the way that I did this, was first of all, I realized that something needed to change.

A clearer sense, ability to examine things more objectively Later in life - after living abroad for many years, I would understand that when living abroad, my exposure to novel cultural values and norms would prompt me to repeatedly engage with my own values and beliefs, which would be either discarded or strengthened. It stands to reason that having a clear sense of self elucidates which types of career options best match one’s strengths and fulfill one’s values, thereby enabling people to be clearer and more confident about their career decisions.
When people live in their home country, they are often surrounded by others who mostly behave in similar ways, so they are not compelled to question whether their own behaviors reflect their core values or the values of the culture in which they are embedded. In contrast, when living abroad, people’s exposure to novel cultural values and norms prompts them to repeatedly engage with their own values and beliefs, which are then either discarded or strengthened.

How would I be different had I stayed in Finland? I cannot know for sure, as it did not happen and I did not stay. What benefits do I have now as a result of venturing abroad, and what are they. I have gained a clearer sense of who I am as a result of living years abroad.

Here, in these posts, I invite you to read snapshots of different situations I have faced along the way. Enjoy!

VerumXplorer and my Redbreast blog

VerumXplorer is about you, entrepreneurship, true stories, and taking action.

Verum means "true", which is the essence of a real-life - and is the opposite of fake.

On this site, I want to bring together people who are interested in entrepreneurship, cultural differences, and stories.  You've had specific moments, where it has become apparent to you that time is limited, and it is simply not enough to plow through your day at work waiting for the day to end.

You want to take 100% accountability and control of your own destiny.  It's about YOUR life and works - and for you to reap the rewards for it. You should not be afraid...but you are!

I believe we are all driven to create. There’s something inside of you that simply has to be expressed– not just occasionally, but every single day. Your skill is your craft and you want to spend all of your time focused on optimizing  your craft.

I'm guessing, you are like me:

You want to work from your laptop, not bound to one place

You want to have more free time and spend more time with the people that really matter in your life

You want to learn a skill that can bring you an income

The problem is, you don't know what you need to do to achieve this. There are so many courses out there... but 90% of them give you a quick fix instead of the information you need to succeed in the long run.

Most people live the life they think they have to live. They are unfulfilled, overworked, stressed, and stuck in a system that exploits them instead of helping them achieve their highest potential. They feel trapped because they think there is no alternative. I know how it feels because I had the same experience. They get the education they think they need, to get the job society says they should want. Also, I did that.

Life does not have to be like that.

My Vision

Are you busy being busy Did you ever take a moment to reflect on in what kind of times we currently live in? Are you having enough time to make a great contribution to your daytime work, being available for your wife or partner? Are you currently available for your kids or the people that really matter in your life?

A good time to be alive Today, everything is available to you on the internet. Where ever there is internet available, you too can draw on your skillset and draw upon your passions and talents to make that a profession for yourself - creating endless possibilities in shaping your own life. Whoever you are, you have a story to tell and your story will attract a set of people with the same beliefs and mindset. I want to open up your eyes and point out to you what's possible in today's digital world. There’s nothing better than to help people transform their lives in a similar way. I will explain to you what digital skills can do for you, how they have helped me and how it can meet your need when it comes to being free and independent earning your own income. Most importantly, I will also share where I have found the best courses the develop your skills when it comes to entrepreneurship, personal development and digital skills. I will reveal which exact steps you have to take in order to take advantage of the opportunities available regarding earning your income while learning digital skills at the same time.

Dig into your values, find the freedom I want to have the freedom to focus on things I am passionate about, and decide how much and when I work. That includes being able to work from anywhere in the world with a laptop and access to the internet. It is not that I want to be traveling all the time, but being free to do that creates endless possibilities.
If we are here with one life to do what we want, why should I - or you - not be free to determine the conditions. Abundance includes much more than just money. It’s about the freedom to choose what you want, with whom and when. Thinking about it, why would you not want to live the life of your choice?

Don't quit your day job on one impulse I would never encourage others to recklessly quit their day and jump into the unknown. Instead, I prefer to guide people to alternative, far less stressful options, allowing for a more gradual, self-paced transition to a lifestyle based on your passion and skills. I believe that everyone has a unique purpose in life, and it is our responsibility to fulfill that purpose and to make the world a better place as a result.

Are you ready to shift your Thinking?

Ready for the transition? What is needed is the courage and desire to start living life on your own terms. What you need is a computer, an internet connection. Most importantly you need a will to learn new skills and to grow as a person.

Now personally, from my own experience - it is not just learning the skills *** snap*** then implementing them *** snap *** and then profits start pouring in through the doors and windows. It is a journey that will transform your mindset and take some time. F ex, just to make it clear I am not yet making 6 figures from my own online business.

And as I already mentioned above, I would only encourage you to quit your day job once you are actually generating income.

What is then needed from you?

You need to work You need to understand, that there is no "Get Rich Quick"-formula, and the results will depend on your commitment of time. The more you put in your time the more likely you will succeed. The more you like what you do, the more relaxed you will feel. So when you choose your niche, choose something you like - something you would enjoy doing even without earning money.

Once you have more experience, and assuming things go according to plan you get the hang of all the details - you can plan your days and geographical location and work when / as much as you want.

On a mission You have to be on a mission in your life, to want something badly. Meaning you want to change. For example, I want to have more free time with my loved ones, being less constrained geographically because I have kids that need my presence. As I have friends in and family in different countries I want to be free to travel when I want, not when it suits my boss.

Be humble You need to be open-minded and humble enough to understand that you can't do everything alone without the help of other people who may understand more than you. This is where a support group will come in handy.

Putting this off for later - doing it when you are retired?

Peer pressure Think about it. Are you somebody working the 9 to 5 doing something you don’t want, and feeling miserable because of it? Or are you working your ass off in a job earning good money but not having the time for your family - feeling that you are neglecting them? Do you feel you are not present in your kids’ life during their most important years sacrificing your time for an employer that does not appreciate you? There are reasons you are in this situation right now, correct. There is a reason you are reading this right now.
Maybe it is the conditioning created in your peer group and you don’t feel safe to break free from it? Maybe it is your wife that feels a 9 to 5 job is the safest way to live life and provide for the family and? Maybe it is that you are in debt and you have to keep on to your job to pay the bills? Maybe you feel you don’t have the support group around you to realize the transformation needed? Maybe you are unfulfilled in the work you are in? Maybe you are petrified of retirement because you are simply not making enough money? It could be that if you find a certain set of skills you could be of more value to society and live a more purposeful life?

Busy being broke People are living in endless scenarios being in situations where they don’t want to be in. I can relate to that. I was in a situation where I wanted something knowing I could achieve it, but I had no support group to lean on and exchange thoughts. I had no mentor, I did not have more experienced friends willing to offer practical advice. And if I had I did I I had no courage to ask them because I was afraid to get laughed at.

If you feel discouraged, I can relate to where you are. That is why I am here to point you in the direction of world-class services and products that helped me at a time I needed them the most.

It is possible to be free And the way it is possible is with the right support group, in small steps, one bit every day. You don’t have to quit your day job to develop and proceed towards your dream. But you have to commit to plan and organize your steps and think about your priorities and hold on to them. Little by little, you gain a bit more confidence on the journey. These small steps will have a huge impact on your self-confidence boosting your energy levels to take bigger steps.

Today I want to write about a subject that is a close to me, and probably close to every entrepreneur. It is a sensitive topic, and that is why it's not always discussed. Some might think, failure doesn't belong in the subject category of winners. But, it that couldn't be more wrong! Failures are the way we get forward and the ways we learn. It is only a failure, if you stop to learn, take or if you don't get up get up for the next round.

So. Why do you fail, or why do I fail? Why do good people fail? You hear about a nice guy or your friend who failed despite his great effort and good intentions.

The most common reasons people fail are:

Their fears are larger than their faith

They become seduced by the chatter of their loudest fears. First comes up with an idea and as soon as we get out of our comfort zone our fears start to take over, and we get scared.

You have to practice walking into your fears as a daily basis. You have to be comfortable in fear.  It's a practice. Step into that unknown.
As you do that you build up neural pathways - and it becomes easier EVERY day. Every change hurts a bit in the beginning.

We all have a threshold regarding how much we can take. Find out how much uncertainty you can live with.

They blame outer conditions for their failure

Every master was once broken. There is no hero that was not a disaster. Look at any great artist, entrepreneur or musician - you will not see anyone that did not suffer. So, looking at their outcome, it seems that they were able to outsuffer their peers.

They simply saw an opportunity in what others considered adversity. Most importantly, they did not stop.

Many stumble, they fall and when challenged become demoralized and they give up. As a result they feel bad about quitting.
This is why point 1 is so important. Just getting used to fall every day and getting up as a matter of habit without thinking about it as a failure or abnormality. Allow your heart to be broken over and over again until it opens.

They allow themselves to be distracted constantly

I'd say this is the single most important reason today - also for me. People are addicted to distraction from their mobile phone. It's simple: you can do right now something that 90% of the population is not doing ... you turn off that phone. We have known for a long time that repeated interruptions affect concentration. With our heavy use of digital media, it could be said that we have taken multitasking to new heights, but we’re not actually multitasking; instead, we are switching rapidly between different activities. Better concentration makes life easier and less stressful and we will be more productive.

Practise concentration by finding things to do that specifically engage you for a period of time to the exclusion of everything else.

If you're interrupted all the time how can you focus on your mission?
Should you really be pursuing your shiny toy and check your notification that at the end of your life will amount to triviality?

Low confidence

You need confidence in order to go on when you fail. Whatever the method: meditation, solitude, internal focus. If you are not confident, you will have to understand and go back to the reasons why you don't feel confident. It might also mean that you have to return to those things that are taking your confidence levels down. These reasons might be hidden, even 'ugly' to your conscious awareness. It can be you would deny these reasons if somebody confronted you about it in public.

If you feel unconfident, the first thing to do is to admit to yourself the reasons why you are unconfident and what keeps you awake in the night:

"I feel unconfident and unease in my current situation because my marriage is  based on ‘negotiation’ to get things done rather than love, mutual
understanding or commitment", or ... "I feel unfulfilled because I am not giving the time and love to my family that they deserve and instead I am living the life what my social circle expects and therefore I feel like a moron". Confessions to yourself can sometimes feel hurtful and admitting the truth painful.

That is why so many bite their lip and go on continuing with situations that won't bring them really anywhere. And for what? Sometimes it is in order to keep up a sand castle that will fall anyways with a loud bang after a couple of years.

The most successful people are most often not necessarily the smartest in the room - but probably the most humblest and most persisting. They have the humbleness to admit the truth about what restrains them and what takes them forward. Because if you are not honest about the facts, you will be out of business very quickly.

They have the persistence and are ready not to give up at a time 'it's normal to give up'.

Quit overthinking everything. Stop obsessing about your failures. Stop doubting yourself. You are better than that. You deserve more, so start showing up differently.  Below some startup acronyms 😉

FAIL = First Attempt in Learning

END = Effort Never Dies

NO = Next Opprtunity

It's more about your daily habits than your genius when it comes to succeeding. The best entrepreneurs, CEO's or recognized people are most often not the most gifted people in the room. They just exploit their talents more than their peers.
You too have the opportunity to exploit your talents to the maximum, but the question is are you installing the right mindsets, heart sets for bringing your craft to the benefit of others and to the world.