Diaspora not always a place of success

GOING abroad has been long regarded as key to success. Thousands of Zimbabweans have destroyed their livelihoods in a bid to secure a ticket and fly away to the Diaspora.

Many people sold houses to buy tickets to go to the United Kingdom and other places.

Some resigned from good jobs to come and become caregivers in the UK.

Comforted by cheaper prices of food in the UK and the "buy-one-get-one-free" schemes; they consider themselves rich.

Many of these people have placed themselves in a precarious position after abandoning their country for "greener" pastures.

The grass looks greener out there, but is it?

Does one become rich by abandoning his/her country?

The Diaspora carries the badge of wealth but actually commands none.

Even though we all define "rich" differently — and we should — most of us factor at least some degree of wealth into our equations.

Yet we also want to feel successful. You don't have to make a lot of money to be a success.

Society tends to equate the possession of money with a happy, successful life.

The pursuit of riches, by going abroad, is seen as the best course to achieve success.

As the saying goes: "Money does not buy happiness," and going abroad does not guarantee riches.

"While it sounds counter-intuitive, maintaining a laser-like focus on how much you make distracts you from doing the things that truly contribute to building and growing wealth," commented Xavier Zavare from London, UK.

"So, shift your perspective. See money not as the primary goal, but as a by-product of doing the right things.

"The most successful people I know — both financially and in other ways — are shockingly helpful. They're incredibly good at understanding other people and helping them achieve their goals. They know their success is ultimately based on the success of the people around them.

"So they work hard to make other people successful: their employees, their customers, their vendors and suppliers…because they know if they can do that then their own success will surely follow. And they will have built a business or a career they can be truly proud of."

So, if going abroad doesn't necessarily translate into success, what does?

For different people, success means different things.

For some, it may mean amassing a lot of money, while for others, it means doing what you love, or leaving the world a better place.

There are countless ways to define success.

It all depends on the individual. But the truth is that, being outside the country is not at all the get-rich-quick ticket.

Before packing your bags to go abroad, it is worthwhile to examine and try to determine what success is for you; set your goals accordingly and; then decide on strategies to achieve the success you want.

It's a lot like the process you go through to develop your financial plan.

Masimba Mavaza Junior, a law student at Bournemouth University said: "Generally speaking, there are two types of people. One makes things because they want to make money; the more things they make, the more money they make. What they make doesn't really matter that much to them — they'll make anything as long as it pays."

Both involve some trial and error to figure out what works for you.

"Going abroad is only a smokescreen and not a sign of being rich," commented Dr Herbert Kawadza of Manchester, UK.

A person who has stripped down life to the bare necessities in order to devote more time to a beloved activity like farming or mining should be considered just as successful as the one toiling abroad and is probably far less stressed.

People can still make it, even though they are in Zimbabwe.

No rich Zimbabwean is abroad.

Our people are being attracted by cheaply priced UK food and have abandoned their roots.

After all, there's no point in being rich if you're not fulfilled; and if you're not fulfilled, how can you say you are truly successful?

Being abroad, you are always reminded that you are a foreigner.

Self-confidence is eroded.

Being rich without self-pride is poverty of the worst kind. You can look at success as either a destination or a process.

Maintaining a fixed definition of success can lead to stagnation and even depression.

It is not surprising that the UK has a large number of Zimbabweans who are stressed and appear to be mentally disturbed.

"They are in a make-do world where they think they are better off than colleagues left in Zimbabwe," said Welcome Bhebhe from Luton.

You could measure these successes by achieving temporary, tangible goals like being a care home manager away from the motherland.

Alternately, you could set goals where ultimate success takes your entire lifetime, like a happy marriage, spiritual discovery or perfecting your golf swing.

Zimbabweans abroad are a very unhappy lot and try to pretend to be making it in life.

There is nothing richer than being home.

The UK is awash with frustrated Zimbabweans who have not found the easy rich pickings they expected to be everywhere in the land of the Queen.

vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk