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Newsletters

Navigating the Festive Season as an Expat: Reflection, Connection, and Growth for the Year Ahead
Newsletters

Navigating the Festive Season as an Expat: Reflection, Connection, and Growth for the Year Ahead

Discover how expats can embrace the festive season with reflection, connection, and growth, blending traditions and planning a fulfilling year ahead.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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December 17, 2024
Challenges of Life Abroad: Insights from the Community
Newsletters

Challenges of Life Abroad: Insights from the Community

Living abroad offers excitement but also challenges, especially for international professionals and their partners. This article explores key insights from a recent survey, highlighting the struggle to build social connections, maintain mental well-being, and navigate career and purpose in a new environment. It also discusses the interconnected nature of these challenges and invites readers to co-create solutions that empower expats to thrive both personally and professionally in their host countries.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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November 22, 2024
Wintering: Embracing 'Winter' and making the best of shorter days
Newsletters

Wintering: Embracing 'Winter' and making the best of shorter days

Embrace the shorter days and winter by slowing down, seeking light, nourishing yourself, enjoying indoor hobbies, and connecting with others to find warmth and renewal.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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October 30, 2024
Why Not Reaching Your Full Potential Might Actually Be a Good Thing
Newsletters

Why Not Reaching Your Full Potential Might Actually Be a Good Thing

Not reaching your full potential can reduce stress and improve well-being. Learn why embracing balance might lead to a more fulfilling, sustainable life.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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September 24, 2024
Power and Responsibility: On Taking Over The Wheel and Using The Flow
Newsletters

Power and Responsibility: On Taking Over The Wheel and Using The Flow

From going with the flow and remaining in the victims role to taking over the wheel and using that power to navigate to where it matters and living life fully responsible for what happens.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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August 27, 2024
Maximizing Your Expat Experience: My Lessons-Learned and 10 Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Life and Career Abroad
Newsletters

Maximizing Your Expat Experience: My Lessons-Learned and 10 Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Life and Career Abroad

I am sharing with you below some of my lessons-learned, so you can avoid the same mistakes and navigate your expat experience in a much more enjoyable and stress-free way.

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July 31, 2024
Can Anyone Change? Neuroplasticity and Why Change is Possible!
Newsletters

Can Anyone Change? Neuroplasticity and Why Change is Possible!

Change is not only possible but also within everyone's reach, given our brain's neuroplasticity. Check out why, my 3 tips, and some examples with an expat, a taxi driver or someone with fear of public speaking.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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July 1, 2024
Judgement versus Discernment: Can You Be a Good Judge?
Newsletters

Judgement versus Discernment: Can You Be a Good Judge?

As a child and teenager I heard my parents and friends say that I’d be a good judge more than once. As an adult what I learned is that being a good judge of people is not really about judgment but rather about discernment. ‍What’s the difference?

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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June 4, 2024
You Are Getting It Wrong! Why & How We Misjudge Success and What Truly Matters
Newsletters

You Are Getting It Wrong! Why & How We Misjudge Success and What Truly Matters

We often misjudge what truly contributes to our well-being and sense of fulfilment. While we may believe that material possessions, wealth, or status are paramount for our happiness, scientific evidence indicates otherwise. Studies consistently show that subjective well-being is more strongly correlated with factors like strong social connections, meaningful relationships, and a sense of purpose or autonomy. However, these factors are often undervalued or overlooked in our decision-making processes.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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May 7, 2024
Can you embrace your 'darker' side? Harnessing your negative emotions...
Newsletters

Can you embrace your 'darker' side? Harnessing your negative emotions...

Life comes with its ups and downs (which I hope are never too low), and that means both positive emotions and those which we - unfairly - call ‘negative’ emotions. (...) The truth, is that these negative emotions serve as crucial signals which our minds and bodies use to navigate our life's challenges. Ignoring these signals bears a huge risk; dwelling and ruminating on them for long does too. We need to acknowledge the alert being given (notice it! what are you feeling?), and consider what type of constructive action is appropriate as a follow-up. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the most 'infamous' negative emotions (in no particular order), where they originate, when they're fitting, and how to harness them for positive outcomes.

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April 10, 2024
Happiness Explained! The PERMA+V model and Expats' Well-being
Newsletters

Happiness Explained! The PERMA+V model and Expats' Well-being

Expatriates and international professionals often face unique challenges and experiences associated with living in a different country which can hinder or enhance our well-being. Most of us have been told that happiness is what comes next, after we work hard to do a good job and progress in our career, get married to the love of our life, have kids (plural!), buy our house, look handsome or pretty... and, for women in the last few generations as well as men, after we become highly-educated and independent. Yet, for those who chose to live abroad, it feels like happiness is also related to showing others how that decision to go abroad (or yet another country) was wise - personally and professionally - and we've been successful as a result of it. Wrong, so wrong...

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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March 13, 2024
Are You Using Your Top (Expat) Strengths? 3 Tips to Get You Started
Newsletters

Are You Using Your Top (Expat) Strengths? 3 Tips to Get You Started

It is easy to recognise the common-sense notion that we will likely be more successful in life when we focus on our strengths rather than on our weaknesses. (...) While top character strengths are specific to each individual, I have often wondered if some of them tend to be more present in expats. (...) If you are just starting to explore the topic of character strengths, here are my 3 tips to get you started

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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February 20, 2024
Can you deal with (negative) feedback?
Newsletters

Can you deal with (negative) feedback?

Dealing with negative feedback is a skill that can be developed over time, and which is influenced by our educational and cultural background and experiences. Check my tips for how you can best deal with negative feedback, whichever way it may be delivered to you.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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January 18, 2024
Can you be ‘just happy’?
Newsletters

Can you be ‘just happy’?

“You do not deserve happiness, you choose happiness. Happiness is natural. It is freely available to all. It is unconditional. And when we are unconditional about happiness, then happiness merely happens! Happiness happens, if you let it.” (...) Our 'work ethics', 'suffering ethics' and 'martyr ethics' are all limiting beliefs claiming that happiness must be earned, that it comes from suffering and that it is selfish. These would imply that more work leads to more happiness, people who do not suffer cannot be happy, and since being happy is taking away something from others, you should actually sacrifice yourself (your happiness) for them (for theirs). Historically as well as today, many cultures and religions are based precisely on these premises. (...) I am still chasing certain forms of success that are important for me, including in the professional domain. I have not reached all my goals, I am not yet living my desired lifestyle. In the meantime, I am already happy. I really am!

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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December 27, 2023
Is your 'other half' happy? [Expat Partners’ Dual Careers]
Newsletters

Is your 'other half' happy? [Expat Partners’ Dual Careers]

The majority of international professionals move abroad along with their accompanying partner or spouse (frequently also, with children). Yet, all the logistics and challenges of the settling in process can easily overshadow the importance of really creating time to reflect on how both your lives — including your partner’s life and career — are going to look like in that new country. Career considerations are a significant aspect of the expatriate experience for both the working spouse and the one accompanying.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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December 7, 2023
Are you lacking Self-Discipline and Motivation?
Newsletters

Are you lacking Self-Discipline and Motivation?

Self-discipline is all about having enough motivation to follow through on your goals, and Motivation = Direction🔦x Energy🔋!

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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November 16, 2023
Can you trust your ‘gut feeling’ when making decisions?
Newsletters

Can you trust your ‘gut feeling’ when making decisions?

Do you know what intuition is and how you can trust yours more? Learn more about it and get 4 tips for cultivating your Expert Intuition.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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October 26, 2023
Rituals, the expat way! How do you celebrate important moments?
Newsletters

Rituals, the expat way! How do you celebrate important moments?

This reminded me of rituals and how important they can be in any society and culture. They suggest to us what is meaningful and valued in that context, though ‘tradition’ can often sweep in as an invisible source for shared activities that no one consciously accepted to follow. Rituals can include a wide range of shared practices, from exchanging rings, certain objects or gestures (ex: greetings), songs, dances, and (yup!) special food and drink. (...) Once you start moving across countries, and especially going across cultural borders, it can get quite messy to keep track of all your ‘new home’ rituals and still respect your original ones.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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October 5, 2023
Mental Health is a Universal Human Right [WMHD2923]
Newsletters

Mental Health is a Universal Human Right [WMHD2923]

10 October (2023), World Mental Health Day. Joining the efforts to demystify the topic and protect everyone who may - in the past, present or future - suffer from a mental health condition, I invite you to join this year’s campaign to recognise mental health as a universal human right! :)

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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October 5, 2023
How many friends does an expat need?
Newsletters

How many friends does an expat need?

Creating new (no matter how small) social connections is essential when moving to a different country, whether with locals or other expats, so make sure you build and nurture enough your own support network.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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August 3, 2023
Picture Or No Picture
Newsletters

Picture Or No Picture

I often advice my clients regarding how best to design their CVs and cover letters for specific vacancies they wish to apply to. One of the most frequently asked questions is about the photo. Should I include a profile photo in my CV or not? While the answer to this question is partially dependent on the country your vacancy is based on (there are a few cultural differences in the DO's and DONT's across countries when it comes to CVs), my answer is almost always an 'It depends'.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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May 12, 2023
Can expats speak EQ-ish?
Newsletters

Can expats speak EQ-ish?

Talking about EQ is quite different than actually practising and increasing our EQ, and the challenge can be even greater for expats and professionals working across cultures and languages.

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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May 5, 2023
On Sleep 😴
Newsletters

On Sleep 😴

On setting our priorities straight and respecting sleep time🌛 Some tips

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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December 8, 2022
On finding your sweet spot... or your Ikigai :)
Newsletters

On finding your sweet spot... or your Ikigai :)

Are you living in alignment with your Ikigai? Find out what it is and how you can get closer to it 😃

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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September 1, 2022
On Finding Your Path Among The Great Reshuffle
Newsletters

On Finding Your Path Among The Great Reshuffle

There have been a few new buzzwords in the last couple of years that are very relevant to all of us. First everyone seemed to be talking about 'the Great Resignation', with many surveys alerting to a massive 'quitting spree', given that anything from 40% to 75% of the workforce seemed to be actively planning to leave their current jobs for a better fit elsewhere. More recently, it has been 'the Great Reshuffle', [...]

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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September 1, 2022
On appreciating cultures
Newsletters

On appreciating cultures

Natália Leal
Natália Leal
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August 18, 2022
Events
News / Articles
Resources
Newsletters
News / Articles

Titles, Honorifics, and the Surprising Power of a Name [An Expat Pocket Story]

Titles, Honorifics, and the Surprising Power of a Name [An Expat Pocket Story]
News / Articles

The Secret to Thriving Across Cultures: Why EQ and CQ Are Essential for Modern Leaders and International Professionals

The Secret to Thriving Across Cultures: Why EQ and CQ Are Essential for Modern Leaders and International Professionals
Newsletters

Why Not Reaching Your Full Potential Might Actually Be a Good Thing

Why Not Reaching Your Full Potential Might Actually Be a Good Thing
Newsletters

You Are Getting It Wrong! Why & How We Misjudge Success and What Truly Matters

You Are Getting It Wrong! Why & How We Misjudge Success and What Truly Matters

Popular articles

The Secret to Thriving Across Cultures: Why EQ and CQ Are Essential for Modern Leaders and International Professionals
The Secret to Thriving Across Cultures: Why EQ and CQ Are Essential for Modern Leaders and International Professionals
Why Not Reaching Your Full Potential Might Actually Be a Good Thing
Why Not Reaching Your Full Potential Might Actually Be a Good Thing
You Are Getting It Wrong! Why & How We Misjudge Success and What Truly Matters
You Are Getting It Wrong! Why & How We Misjudge Success and What Truly Matters

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Natália Leal  |  Coach & Trainer
Empowering Global Leaders and International Professionals to Upgrade Their Life & Career Abroad

Company no./KvK: 72490772

VAT/BTW-id: NL002528132B78

contact[at]natalia-leal.com‍

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