26. Immigrating to the United States with Matthieu Villate
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What does it mean to “be yourself” when you’re learning a new language and living in a new culture? Some of us find it hard to do even in our own language!
In the latest episode of The Vibrant Introvert, Matthieu Villate shares his story of immigrating to the United States from France and the struggle to be himself as he struggled to communicate, be heard, connect to others, and convey his unique sense of humor.
Listen to how he
Learned to connect to the most important values of humor, playfulness, spontaneity
Practiced the difference between connecting to values as a process rather than an outcome
Balanced and practiced the paradox of acceptance and the subtle process of letting go without an overattachment to an outcome
In the episode I also talk about my own struggles with being open and curious without an overattachment to a specific expectation or outcome. I give an example of making art with my son. Here is what the Christmas wreath looked like when we finally finished it. It was completely different than I expected but once I let go of my vision, I loved the process of making it…AND I actually love how it turned out. This is a great example of how letting go of expectations can yield something completely unexpected and beautiful in its own right. If we can do this same work with our many many other interactions in work and life, how might that not only impact the outcome of our choices but our experience of it and the way we connect to others?
Join in on the conversation!
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Check out my service Coaching for Vibrant Introverts if you are an introvert struggling with self-doubt and social anxiety and who desires to make your own transformations. My clients come to me so they can do the work of showing up, speaking up, being authentically present, and desire to make changes in their lives from a place of vibrancy.
Learn more and schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
Find me on Instagram @actinspiredbehavior
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About our Storyteller:
Matthieu Villate is an Assistant Professor at the University of Bastyr in Seattle. His work is focused on the role of language in different areas of human psychology, such as psychotherapy and spirituality. You can see more of his work at:
https://languageasintervention.com/
