What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

I’m writing this as I sit in a public transit office in Ecuador, waiting to renew my driver’s license which expired a few months ago. If you’ve ever lived abroad you know that those precious days when you’re back home (weeks if you’re lucky) are reserved for spending time with family, seeing childhood friends, and getting all the medical exams and documentation processes you haven’t done all year. This has been the norm for me for a little over 10 years now. And as hard as it is sometimes, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I’ve always said I was going to live abroad for as long as I can remember. The fact that my family temporarily lived in the US when I was a kid probably made an impact on my little 4-year-old brain that then associated living abroad as my default. That’s not to say I don’t love Ecuador and don’t love that I get to call it home. In fact, when my nationality is questioned, which happens more often than I would like to admit, I feel a deep sense of sadness and guilt and want to scream to the world that I’m a proud Ecuadorian. I guess this is something a lot of people experience when they find joy in living somewhere other than their home country. The guilt of leaving your country behind and being happy in other places.

I’ve spent my entire adulthood abroad, so I’ve had to learn to find my comfort in the things that are different. Different cultures and languages, different ways of working and socializing. I honestly feel most like myself in a room full of people of all different nationalities and backgrounds. I’ve learned to find my own joy and find a way to make new places feel like a little part of home.

I know I am a walking contradiction in many ways. I love Ecuador, but I only aspire to live abroad. I am closer to my family than most people in their late 20s, but I choose to live away from them. I think there is so much potential in my country, but I contribute to other economies. I know starting over in new places is hard and lonely, yet the thrill of it excites me and motivates me. And I want to have a place I can call my own home, but I want to cross off as many major cities as places around the world I’ve lived in. These contradictions are my invisible but essential.

If there’s something that I’ve learned after living in 5 countries (going on 6 with my upcoming exchange) is that you never know where life will take you. That there is always beauty to discover, wonderful people to meet, and something to learn from every place you live in. And never forget where you come from. As my mom always said “alas para volar, raíces para volver” which means “wings to fly, roots to come back to”.

*As I close out the MBA ‘24s batch of stories, I want to (metaphorically) cheers to the adventures and opportunities this next year will bring for us. I can’t wait to see where life takes us. Thank you for an unforgettable MBA experience.

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

A lot of people always wonder where I get the energy to do so many things in my life — from pursuing my MBA, regularly meeting different friends, to travelling and engaging in activities I enjoy. Sometimes, I even question the source of this energy and my constant craving to stay active and be around people. Most of the time, I attribute it to FOMO (fear of missing out), but as I reflect on the past years of my life, I am reminded of an event that took place a decade ago.

In May of 2013, I took a taxi to attend my friend’s sister’s birthday dinner. After a few minutes, two armed robbers suddenly entered the taxi and held me hostage while driving for three hours. This experience turned out to be the most traumatic yet also one of the most significant learning moments of my life. Looking back, it has become my invisible but essential experience.

In the first few minutes with them, all I could think about was whether this was how my life would end. However, my initial fear and panic transformed into calmness, logic and assessment. Realizing that showing fear would jeopardize my safety, I evaluated the situation and turned it into a dialogue and negotiation. I discovered their motives, their plans and how I can get myself out of it. Those three hours were the longest of my life, but I successfully negotiated my safety, and even managed to retrieve some of my belongings. As you read this, you might find it impressive, and I do too. However, the impact of that incident on who I am now and how I view life is my greatest takeaway.

Instead of reliving the horror, I always remind myself of how I survived it. Now I understand better why I have this zest for life. I consider my current life as a second chance. In the Philippines, a woman held up for three hours and surviving is a miracle. From the moment I got out of that car alive, saw my parents and friends, all I could think of was never taking this life for granted. That night of terror taught me how to handle any difficult situation, the strength I possess within me and how truly short life is.

As we come closer to the end of our MBA, most of us heading home for a well-deserved break, and bidding farewell to 2023, let me end this short story with a few reminders. Eat that food you’ve always wanted. Take that vacation. Call your family and friends and tell them you miss them. Quit your job and do your MBA. Or don’t quit it and continue doing what you love. Allow yourself that much-needed pause and rest. Say yes and say no. Run that marathon. Live your best life. And when I say “best life,” I mean embracing both the big and small moments. This life is beautiful, and we are given it only once, so embrace it with energy and passion.

-Your KARSelona

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

I’m not sure what’s unique about me or my story. Isn’t everyone unique in some particular way? Isn’t that the beauty of the human story? What distinguishes me? There’s people who are far more incredible and inspiring, trust me on that.

So maybe I can write a little bit about my transformation and some of the lessons I’ve learnt along the way since coming to this beautiful shining city. For most of my life I was very much content in my quiet ways. A small group of friends, books, paintings, work. I guess I still am content, but I was distant from the world. I watched as life swung from left to right in its infinite pendulum.

So I came here with the intention of doing business as usual. I spoke little and I had no desire to draw attention to myself. But then you meet some people who say the most profoundly absurd things you just can’t stay quiet. Be it in class (least favorite time to speak) or big social gatherings (hate those), or telling the waiter theres a fly in my soup (‘cuz the poor guy is already hating his job, why add more?). Anyways, something happened. Something that changed me forever. I learnt the power of words. Of believing what you say. In thinking things through before communicating. I learnt that language can be thought of as a mathematical formula. Words, like numbers, have to be weaved together in the most direct and yet graceful way possible to reach the correct outcome. We can always say ‘1+1×1+2=4’ but ‘doesn’t ‘2+2’ just sound and feel infinitely better. It has a juicy crispiness to it just by saying it. 2 plus 2.Words have a weight to them. They can move or destroy mountains. Words, and words alone, have lead nations to the brink of collapse, have damaged marriages beyond repair, have lead armies to mass suicides. Words are powerful. Don’t forget that. But just having the right words isn’t enough. You also have to SAY them the right way. Intonation, pauses, volume, repetition, body language, my God the list doesn’t end. But these things are necessary, because if you don’t carry these words like they’re yours, then no one is gonna listen. If you don’t sound like you believe in your own words, why should anybody else?That’s one of the lessons. Speak up any time you can. Be nervous, be shy, be anxious. It happens to everyone. Just know these things go away, little by little, every time you choose to speak up. It could be when you want a raise from your boss, or when your boyfriend does something that troubles you. Or when the waiter needs to know there’s a fly in your soup.

After learning how to communicate (because I was an ape before), I met alot more people than I hoped for. I mean you’re all very nice but there’s simply too many names…Well I met you wonderful people and got to know you very deeply and honestly. As you too got to know me (which is your problem now). And it occurred to me that there’s something lurking beneath the surface. A recent study showed that an average adult in their 20s and 30s today has the same anxiety level of a mental patient in the US in the 60s. That’s a crazy statistic. There’s pain out there. Maybe we can’t change this pandemic in a day, but we can start by being more understanding of one another. The person in front of you could have mountains of responsibility on their shoulders and yet serve you with the brightest smile on their face. I’ve always believed that treating people with respect and politeness is the cheapest skill to acquire. It literally takes nothing. Be demanding. Be challenging. Be assertive. But don’t forget you’re dealing with someone that one day might be doing you a favor and you’ll need their memory of you to be clean. So: respect and politeness. Add that to the arsenal.

Guess that’s it. This really isn’t my story because I don’t have much to say in that regard. So this is our story. Or said differently, this is what I learned from your journey that you’ve generously included me into. I hope that I’ve added some value.

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

Something invisible but essential about me is that I have an anxiety disorder.

In February 2010, I had my first panic attack. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Something felt off, and as I walked into the kitchen to tell my parents, my entire body went numb, my hands cramped up, and I couldn’t see anything. The next few hours were a blur.

I woke up a few hours later with an IV in my arm and my parents sitting at the end of my hospital bed. The doctor came in and explained that I had experienced a panic attack, but because I was so dehydrated, I would need some fluids before they could send me home.

For the months leading up to this moment, I had been getting sick to my stomach and often feeling lightheaded and exhausted when I had to stand or be upright for a long period of time. It wasn’t until the panic attack that I realized I had been struggling with anxiety for years.

Anxiety is defined by the Webster dictionary as, “an overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs.” What that definition doesn’t tell you is that often times you don’t know what you’re afraid of or what is triggering your anxiety. It also doesn’t tell you that the symptoms of anxiety differ from person to person often making it hard to diagnose.

In my case, anxiety presented itself in the form of feeling sick to my stomach and extreme fatigue. Common symptoms of many different types of illnesses and in my case, years of not understanding what was wrong with me.

Following my panic attack, things began to click for me. I had an answer to what was happening, and I finally had something that I could focus my attention on understanding.

Having anxiety hasn’t been easy, but it has taught me some important things. The top three things I have learned are:

1. It is okay to not be okay. There have been days that I struggle more, have a hard time going about my day or want to hide. On those days, I take a moment to listen to my body, slow down and try to be more mindful about what I’m feeling.

2. It’s important to look at situations from different perspectives. Things aren’t always how they may seem initially, and if you react too quickly, you may limit yourself from understanding more about what is happening.

3. Finding balance in life is important. Having anxiety has enabled me to explore things and listen to myself in situations that I may not have thought to do so before. I have learned that I love to exercise and have a routine, and those things help me to stay balanced.

At first, I was upset that I had this uncontrollable reaction that seemed to pop up out of nowhere at the worst possible times, but over the years, I have found that my anxiety has actually helped me more than it has held me back.

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

One of the most extraordinary things that I have learned from the MBA is that every soul within it has a story that deserves to be listened to. I am going to tell you one that will give you a sense of who I am.

I have been always an intrepid soul, seeking new adventures to fill my life backpack. At the age of 26, I decided to quit my job, a very stable and well-paid job, and move to Australia with all, and just my savings. You are never ready to settle 17.180,26km from family and friends, my main pillars in life. I was eager for unique experiences, astonishing landscapes, and riveting nature. I felt ready to live the time of my life.

Nothing further from reality, the setback while landing was difficult to encounter. It was not an easy task to get a job, regardless of how much energy and motivation I carried. All my skills, my experience, my English diploma… suddenly, I was down on earth again. It took me 3 months. I arrived in Sydney with all my savings, and as you may imagine, 3 months in Australia without a job is a task difficult to endure. I decided to join a position that did not require any competence: food-delivery rider.

There I was: electric bike, helmet and an isolated bag. A job that I had never thought of doing, but a job that couldn’t make me happier. I was joyful, merry, lively. I had never felt this way on my way to work. I had the opportunity to penetrate into the heart of the city; while waiting outside of big chains I made friends who were coming across the same life introspection. I was glowing, thriving and excelling when it came to the most important job in my life: seeking happiness.

Why is this story invisible but essential?
I used to hide it during stressful and competitive job interviews. I even felt ambivalent when recruiters used to ask me about my Aussie experience.

Until I joined the MBA: I joined ESADE full of biases, questioning my background, my strengths, my assets… and here I realized how valuable I am, mostly, thanks to experiences and stories like the one conveyed in this post.

Never question yourself. Every experience will fill you with marvellous and special knowledge. Sometimes, it is so invisible that you cannot see how essential it can be.

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

Figuring out my ‘invisible but essential’ was a long haul. Hope to convey my journey through this small article.

As a kid, I always had an itch for curiosity and ventured into everything I could. I tried Music, Dance, Sports, Literature, etc. only to find myself lost. Time taught me that life is too short to learn and experience everything. The more I got exposed to new territories, the more indecisive I became. So, I resorted to a simple solution that can serve my curiosity and also help me draw the line. The solution was to answer this simple question: What’s the purpose?

I chose Electronics engineering out of curiosity. Tinkering with the transistors and resistors seemed fun, but I couldn’t answer my question of purpose. What am I achieving? Do I love doing this?-No concrete answer.

During this time, I bumped into an Entrepreneurship course during my summer holidays. Every session was exciting and I also launched a modest venture that marked my inaugural earnings. That’s when it became clear to me that business was something that bites my brain every time. So MBA was clear in sight.

However, MBA is not less than a madhouse. Every day I had to choose and prioritize among all the opportunities that it offered. Finding my purpose in every small event simplified my decisions to carve my unique journey.

Sometimes, our roads lead to dead ends. Hence, going with the flow is not always beneficial. We need to learn to draw the line to strike the right balance. My journey of curiosity and finding purpose represents my invisible but essential.

Cheers.

Apoorva

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

Sometimes, the things that matter can be difficult to spot, even though they play a big role. These hidden qualities have two things in common—most people don’t notice them, including ourselves, and they can make a huge difference or be really important for other things to work well.

An essential but invisible trait I possess is the way I see things from a unique perspective. I grew up in a family where everyone had prowess in Finance, but I was different. While they liked numbers, and easily identified patterns, I had interests in literature and understanding abstract ideas. As I grew up and started my career, I often found myself choosing to do things differently, even when others thought it wasn’t the clearly favoured choice.

It wasn’t until I went to business school for my MBA that I understood how valuable it is to be different. We often feel like we need to do what everyone expects, but that’s not always right. When I started my MBA, I wondered what someone like me, whose experience majorly spanned around the arts, could bring to a class full of people who were experts in consulting and finance.

During my time in school, I realized that my way of looking at things in a different light was actually a strength. Asking “why” about almost everything helped me connect with people, contribute to group projects, and make a difference in my class.

I soon learned that all the unusual choices I had made in the past led me to one of the best MBA schools in the world. And I know that these choices would also be important for whatever I do next in my life, no matter what it is.

I like to remember something Steve Jobs once said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

So here’s to making different choices, even when they don’t seem to make sense at first.

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

I was born into a family in Turkey with a rich heritage spanning two generations in the fields of science and medicine. This familial legacy significantly influenced my educational path, leading me to attend a science-focused high school and ultimately pursue a career in medicine during my college years.

Throughout college, I had the privilege of undertaking two transformative internships at prestigious institutions in the United States—Harvard and Columbia Medical Schools. These experiences were invaluable in terms of knowledge and skill acquisition. Still, what truly stood out for me was the exposure to a diverse, multinational environment. It was within this multicultural setting that I forged deep and meaningful friendships that significantly influenced my decision to pursue an MBA in Barcelona later in life.

In Turkey, after graduation, it is customary to complete mandatory service. Following medical school, my first professional assignment led me to an emergency department situated in the culturally vibrant southeastern region of the country. This environment was marked by its exceptional cultural richness and remarkable diversity, delivering an unforgettable and enlightening experience.

Subsequently, my career path led me into the pharmaceutical industry, where I came to appreciate the immense significance of workplace diversity. Engaging in vibrant, constructive discussions and the exchange of ideas within a safe and inclusive environment has been a tremendous privilege.

Additionally, I actively contributed to projects related to rare diseases, where I keenly felt the significance of my contributions to improving human health. These experiences underscored the importance of each step I took in addressing these specific conditions and enhancing overall human health.

Throughout my personal journey, I’ve developed a profound appreciation for the transformative power of embracing diversity, not only in one’s personal life but also within the professional realm. This realization significantly influenced my decision to pursue an international MBA experience, leading me to choose Esade as the ideal platform for my academic pursuits. Just as the timeless wisdom suggests, ‘We are the average of the five people around us,’ I wholeheartedly endorse the belief that diversity serves as a catalyst for enriching and elevating this collective average. In diverse settings, we have the unique opportunity to broaden our horizons, welcome a wider array of experiences, and evolve into more empathetic and inclusive individuals. This growth, in turn, holds the potential to positively impact and advance society as a whole.

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

We all experience moments in life that challenge our beliefs, touch our hearts, and reveal the significance or frivolity of our existence. For many, these defining moments occur during youth, when our souls remain pure and fragile.

My childhood was truly remarkable, and I am forever grateful to my parents for that. Still, there were challenging periods when I had to drag myself through difficulties.

For me, one such defining stretch occurred a few months before my fifteenth birthday. The decision to continue my high school education in the city away from my hometown was initially far from pleasant. Living apart from familiar habitat and trusted companions felt like a “sudden hit to the face with a bat” by life itself. I admit, adapting was a struggle. Yet, as resilient as human beings are, I managed to endure and squeeze out the best for me.

I don’t intend to present a grand life lesson here, but I wish to emphasize that sometimes the smallest, least visible changes hold the utmost importance in shaping who we are today. Reflecting on that time, its seeming insignificance belies the tremendous impact it had in defining me.

Dear reader, allow the subtleties to strike the core of your heart and challenge your beliefs. Then assimilate what holds value for you and disregard the rest.