Lisa, a Canadian marketing professional, moved to Rio de Janeiro for a two-year assignment. Initially excited about Brazilian culture, she soon found herself frustrated by what she perceived as inefficiency: meetings that started late, a relaxed approach to deadlines, and social customs that felt foreign to her structured mindset.
"I was constantly fighting against the culture, wishing things would be 'more organized' like back home. I felt stressed and disconnected, missing out on the beauty of where I was living."
Lisa's resistance to her new environment was creating internal conflict and preventing her from truly experiencing the richness of Brazilian culture.
"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate associates you." — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book VI
The Stoic concept of Amor Fati goes beyond mere acceptance—it means embracing and even loving what happens to you, including the challenges and unexpected turns in your expatriate journey.
Rather than seeing cultural differences as obstacles, Lisa learned to view them as opportunities for growth and understanding.
Stoic philosophy teaches that suffering comes not from external events, but from our resistance to them. When we stop fighting reality and start accepting what is, we find peace.
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." — Viktor Frankl (echoing Stoic wisdom)
Lisa began practicing acceptance by:
Write down three things about your host culture that you're grateful for, even if they initially challenged you.
Practice wanting what happens rather than wanting what doesn't happen. This shifts your energy from resistance to cooperation with reality.
Ask yourself: "How is this experience making me a more adaptable, patient, or understanding person?"
Like water that adapts to the shape of its container, learn to flow with local customs rather than rigidly maintaining your old patterns.
"I stopped trying to impose my Canadian timeline on Brazilian culture and started appreciating the emphasis on relationships and spontaneity. Meetings might start late, but they often led to deeper connections and more creative solutions."
Tranquility comes not from controlling external circumstances, but from accepting them completely. When you stop fighting against your new culture and start embracing it, you'll find a deep sense of peace and belonging.
Like Lisa discovered, acceptance doesn't mean giving up your values—it means expanding them to include new perspectives and ways of being.
"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Remember: You cannot control your circumstances, but you can control your response to them. In that response lies your freedom and your peace.