-Languages: beyond speaking more than one language, I fine tuned my ability to communicate with people of all walks of life. My non-verbal communication skills speak to my ability to be equally engaging in my conversations with the cleaning lady as the owner of my husband's company. In the end, I believe my choice of words for writing (as you see it here) was heavily influenced by my overseas experiences. German is my mother tongue, Portuguese came next, English was only third.
-Independence: the only steady and reliable person who could help me through the sometimes difficult parts of relocating (apart from my parents) was myself. I credit this skill for the personal strength and perseverance I have today to overcome problems (which usually appear to be of relatively smaller size). And, the ability to be perfectly content when I am on my own.
-Empathy: not only because I have seen extreme poverty by living in a third world country, but also because I am deeply in touch with my emotions. I am thankful for the sensitivity I have when people around me are struggling or mistreated. And I am very eager to spend my volunteer hours to benefit an international cause.
-Flexibility: I think I am adaptable to new situations because I have known no other way by moving overseas from a very young age. I am not set in my ways when I approach a new situation and am willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done in a team situation. No job is too small for me.
-Joie-de-vivre: by living overseas, I acquired an adventurous spirit in the way I approach lifes' opportunities. A dear friend calls me her 'yes girl', because I am always willing and overjoyed to try something new and different.
-Open-mindedness: some might label it a lack of opinion or indecisiveness, but I am acting honestly when I can appreciate the same issue from more than one perspective. I listen eagerly to the ideas and opinions of others, and can be convinced easily to be supportive of opposing viewpoints.
-Adaptability: every time I am in a new social situation, I am able to find common ground with the people around me. I am able to change myself to suit the occasion and it does not take long before it becomes clear that we have either traveled to the same places, enjoyed an unusual food or even know the same people in a far away city.
-Problem-solving: I pride myself in my ability to solve problems with few resources. This is largely due to the critical and analytical thinking skills I have used from an early age to survive when I neither knew anyone or spoke the language in our new host country.
-Creativity: while some might claim that people are born with creativity or not, I believe that exposure to different ideas, people and places influenced how I am able to come up with new and valuable solutions around my life and home.
-Change is Good: I am resilient when change is necessary and make the best of the situations which demand it. I see potential when others might see problems because I have grown into someone with a drive towards heightened self-awareness and achievement.