The Dr Schuster September Newsletter Column
I am writing this from my hotel room in Valencia, while I tuck into some ‘Sal de Ibiza’ crisps - the very best snack! My guilty pleasure, after another exhausting day embracing my new life in Spain, pondering on the events of the last few weeks. Having our first publication ‘highly commended’ by an expert jury and recognized in front of a room of accomplished writers at the 2024 business book awards, certainly gives validation to the concept of constant learning and reinvention. Producing a quality book that resonates with the right audience requires one to draw from your own learning and life lessons. It requires a rich, diverse, varied set of life experiences. With the associated highs and lows. Peaks and troughs. While both David and I’s lives may seem very corporate, it masks a much broader spectrum of experiences, full of risk taking and a willingness to follow ‘outrageous intuition’.
But back to my Sal de Ibiza story - new experiences, surprising choices and why I am in Valencia. Those observing my career from a distance might assume by now I would be back in London, sitting on several corporate boards and having dinners at posh Mayfair clubs. Instead, in what seems entirely consistent to me, I am doing something different. One that isn’t driven by financial incentives, status or a big stage - but a path I consider significantly more rewarding from an emotional and intellectual perspective.
Every morning, after my work-out and my coffee, I rush to Euroace, the language school I selected to improve my Spanish. Until Christmas, twenty hours per week in group classes with ten other students, complemented with private afternoon classes. Sitting in a classroom with mostly twenty-somethings is an interesting experience. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that, most of the time we spend together is filled with conversation and dialogue tailored towards the issues, anxieties and dreams of GenZ. The strange thing is that nobody seems phased by the fact that I am a similar age to their parents. As an aside, I did like that one of the students thought I was in my thirties! This confirmed my view that for most young people everyone over thirty falls in the category ‘mayor’ which means old, no further distinctions needed. I finally outed my real age but not sure whether it really registered. I am grateful that there is at least one other student who is a bit closer to my age.
The intriguing fact about this experience is that it is not awkward at all. We are all here for the same reason, for a common purpose: to become fluent in Spanish. Some students have been living in Spain for over a year and are rather well spoken, others like me can communicate, but lack the grammatical backbone and the vocabulary to talk like an educated grown up (in fact this experience reminds me of the David Sedaris essay when he tried something similar in France).
I attended a similar course in Valencia in my twenties and, interestingly, not much has changed. Young, talented teachers, paper handouts, students bringing notebooks and nobody using a phone in class! What has changed, is that people take this far more seriously than I remember, and everyone talks openly about their struggles with, dyslexia, ADHD, Introversion, depression, etc. This is a serious generation with worries about their careers and futures. Nobody is late, everyone stays to the end and people are mentally present. Career considerations, what to do next and how to cope with an ever-changing world are the key topics. As I sit in class, I am delighted that we created Shey Sinope and his career journey. His character is most needed and relevant, and hopefully provides a force for good.
I am equally delighted that I decided to be here in Valencia, redefining myself, replacing old dreams with new dreams and certain of the fact that the secret of successful reinvention is to never stop dreaming.
Nunca dejes de soñar!
Comments