Anthony Feist

Background

About Anthony Feist

I’m sure you have seen that scene with a writer contemplating the opening line until the predictable coming of age epiphany. I found myself in a similar position when prompted by LinkedIn to provide a summary on my profile. Seems like such a simple thing to do until you start considering and researching what makes you stand out from the crowd. After what felt like hours of research, I can tell you that you should avoid rewriting your CV in a summarised form but rather use the opportunity to provide an insight into who you are. At least a polished, self-aware and progressive version of yourself. So here goes in 2600 characters or less… We recently emigrated as a family from Johannesburg to Bristol. My wife was offered a role which started in three months’ time which we decided to accept. We then had the unenviable task of packing up our lives before jetting off. I went through the laborious process of listing and prioritising the transfer of every aspect of our lives. Then we had to get going with it. I can proudly say that we achieved our goal. The key lesson for me was that when you feel overwhelmed, stop and focus on the highest priority first and not the easiest task. You would have thought once we landed that the hard part was over. Starting afresh in a new country is a humbling experience. You need to quickly up-skill on every facet of life which is either vastly different or slightly nuanced. Once you get that out of the way, and get your life more organized, you have the emotional space to acclimatize to your new life. This is where attitude is key because every day isn’t going to be roses and daffodils, and it’s easy to fall into negative thinking. This ability to get knocked down and get up again is so critical to success in life. We have had that in spades and have come out the other side stronger as a family and as individuals. You grow the most through adversity and even though it is uncomfortable, sometimes in life that is exactly what you need.