How to Find Success Anywhere You Are
I am a lawyer — and the wife of a diplomat.
If there’s one thing I’ve always been good at, it’s talking. I can walk into almost any room, meet anyone, and find something to talk about.
One of my favourite questions to ask people is, “How did you come to be here?” I don’t mean by taxi or motorbike, but how did you reach this point in your life?
The answers always fascinate me because my own path has been far from predictable.
I grew up in small-town Ohio, the self-proclaimed heart of America. I didn’t even get my first passport until I was 18. A few years later, I met my future husband — intelligent, witty, ambitious — and yes, I chased him until he agreed to marry me.
At the same time, I was pursuing my law degree. We married soon after I graduated, and one day he came home saying, “I’ve got a job that can take us overseas. What do you think?”
I faced a dilemma: a life of travel and adventure, or a clear and stable career path as Laura, the lawyer? I had spent years and thousands of dollars earning that title. But curiosity won — and off we went overseas.
Losing “Laura, the Lawyer”
At first, the adventure was thrilling. New countries, new experiences… until the day I realised I had no job.
One afternoon, while visiting my husband’s office, a woman in the lift asked, “Are you new here?”
“Yes!” I said enthusiastically.
“Are you looking for a job?”
“Yes, I am!”
“Well,” she smiled, “there’s an opening in the mailroom.”
The mailroom!
Now, sorting mail is important work, but it didn’t feel like what I had studied so hard for. I wondered, Had I just thrown away my career?
I felt lost, frustrated, and resentful. And I’m not alone. These feelings are familiar to anyone who’s ever paused their career for someone they love — a spouse, a child, or a parent.
It’s the story of anyone who changes their life course out of love and loyalty, only to later wonder, “Was this what I was meant to do?”
Reframing Success
Eventually, I did find jobs everywhere we lived — from Tunisia and Egypt to Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel, and Vietnam. But because they weren’t law-related, I saw them as meaningless detours.
That changed when we moved to Hanoi. At lunch one day, a new acquaintance asked me, “So, what do you do?”
I dreaded that question. I mumbled something about having been a lawyer, then moving a lot, doing this and that… but not really knowing what I did anymore.
Then she asked something life-changing:
“If you could do anything, what would it be?”
That question stunned me. I hadn’t thought that way since childhood. I realised — I could do anything. I wasn’t trapped by my old identity.
Looking back, I saw a pattern. Every job I’d done had different titles, but the same core elements — writing, motivating, advocating, and connecting.
I might not have been Laura, the lawyer, but I had become Laura, the motivator; Laura, the advocate; Laura, the persuasive speaker.
I had succeeded — just not in the way I’d originally imagined.
Three Steps to Finding Success Anywhere
After sixteen years and seven countries, I learned that success isn’t about a title — it’s about perspective.
Here are three key steps that can help you find success wherever you are.
Step 1: Be Open to Change
In 1989, Charles Handy wrote The Age of Unreason, predicting that people would no longer stick to a single career. Instead, they would build portfolios of jobs across their lifetime.
He was right. By 2010, the average person had already changed jobs seven times. By 2020, that number had risen to around 12–15 careers per person.
Today, career change isn’t a setback — it’s a strength.
It shows adaptability, creativity, and resilience.
As Handy said, “Change is only another word for growth — a synonym for learning.”
The key is not just to accept change, but to enjoy it.
Step 2: Embrace the Experiences, Not the Titles
Success today is not about holding one job title forever. It’s about developing skills that can be transferred and adapted to new challenges.
Even though I wasn’t always practising law, I was using the same strengths everywhere I went — communication, persuasion, advocacy, and leadership.
Author Jeff Goins, in The Art of Work, describes a career as an artist’s portfolio — each piece of work stands on its own, but together they form a powerful story of growth.
Think of your experiences that way.
Each job, role, or project contributes a brushstroke to the bigger picture of who you are becoming.
Ask yourself:
What skills keep showing up in everything I do?
That’s your personal thread — your story of success.
Step 3: Make Meaningful Connections
Even in the digital age, 85% of jobs are still filled through personal connections, not online job boards. People need to know you to trust you, recommend you, or hire you.
So put down your phone and start real conversations. Ask questions. Share your goals. Let people know what you want to do so that when opportunities arise, they think of you.
Invite someone for coffee — or even a meal — whose work interests you. Learn about their story. Start the conversation with questions like:
- “How did you come to be here?”
- “If you could do anything, what would it be?”
Those two simple questions can open doors, both for you and for others.
Conclusion
It took me sixteen years, seven countries, and a lot of self-doubt to realise this truth: you can find success anywhere.
Success is not a straight line; it’s a journey — one built on growth, adaptability, and connection.
Whether you’re a parent taking a career break, a professional starting over, or someone searching for purpose, remember:
- Be open to change.
- Embrace the experience, not just the title.
- Build meaningful connections.
