For many years I couldn’t get enough of “self-help” from writers and speakers such as Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield and so on. However, my focus, often based on their advice, was on succeeding so I could have more…a nicer car, more expensive clothes, a bigger house, vacations to anywhere I wanted, etc.

There was always that glimmer of encouragement to “be more” rather than just to “have more” as exemplified by Zig’s famous saying, “you can have everything in life you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want.”

But even in that laudable phrase, there’s an underlying motivation of “having more.”

Much of what I’m advocating in this book is for a Costa Rica expat paradigm shift, especially concerning the drive for material accumulation. This occurred for me, gradually, as I was exposed to a new way of living here in Costa Rica…a way much less focused on things.

Of course the average per capita income of a household in the U.S. is more than twice that of Costa Rica and that difference is much more pronounced if you are talking about “campesinos,” or country-folk. So obviously there is going to be less consumption of material things in a country like Costa Rica, as compared to the U.S.

Now, I’m not saying that we should necessarily all live like campesinos…well, maybe I am a little bit saying that.

Truth is, in Costa Rica campesinos live pretty well. For the most part they have decent homes, but without many of the luxuries that are taken for granted in the U.S. They enjoy simple pleasures and live a simple life. In general, they care for and respect the land and find great joy in the natural beauty of Costa Rica. In short, they get along just fine without the vulgar material wealth that many folks in the U.S. consider a birthright of the American dream.

So what I am advocating is a Costa Rica expat paradigm shift. One that takes us away from the idea that happiness can only be measured by how big a house (or houses) we live in. One that awakens a desire to give back rather than take. And yes it can start by changing your personal goals. By changing our goals in life from having more to being more…that is, making choices that make a difference.

I am not saying in the least bit to stop striving to succeed. I believe we should maximize to the fullest extent our ability to do that, but it is what we then do with our “success” that makes the difference. Do we invest it in stuff that only provides personal comfort for ourselves, or in creating a better world?

For instance, investing in some form of renewable energy to supply electrical power to your home could perhaps be a better idea than installing that swimming pool. If the kids want to swim, take the family for a nature hike to a nearby creek or “swimming hole” (hopefully non-polluted) and enjoy both the water and the natural surroundings. Take advantage of the opportunity to teach your kids the importance of keeping nature clean and beautiful.

These days many folks in the U.S. are being forced to get by with less as the result of a rapidly changing economy. Many reacted to this by electing Donald Trump. But is he really the solution?

An emphasis on that is what “expat mindfulness” is all about.

Hey, my book The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living is live on Amazon. If you’re thinking about making an escape from the rat-race, whether for political or mental and physical health reasons, or all of the above, The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living was written just for you!

Get the Book!

Despite the obvious fact that my blood runneth 100% gringo, often I feel that there’s a “latent latino” inside of me just waiting to burst out.

Even so, I am frequently reminded of the differences, especially by those closest to me.

We gringos just aren’t as warm and fuzzy as latinos. We are more prone to give the cold shoulder. We are not as familiar, or family oriented. We are not as open and inviting. We are impatient. And on and on the list goes.

But if I had to boil it all down to a single trait that distinguishes the gringo from the latino, I would describe it like this…we gringos are infinitely more “hung-up” than latinos.

What exactly does that mean?

It just seems that we have these ideas about the way things ought to be. And if they aren’t that way, well, it makes our blood boil. I’ll call these “Costa Rica expat hangups.”

Case in point is the way latinos, specifically Costa Ricans, view “risk” compared to gringos. For instance, a Costa Rican would not think twice about riding down a busy road on a motorbike with a kid sitting in his lap, perhaps with a helmet, but just as likely not.

You see things like this all the time here. Sometimes if I am transporting a group of gringo tourists and they bear witness to such horror, all will express in unison their outrage, scorn and derision about the “bad parent” risking the life of that poor child. But to the tico, it’s just a way to get from point A to point B.

What’s the big deal?

There are countless other areas I could mention where we gringos tend to be hung-up about things, whereas the ticos will take a more relaxed live and let live attitude.

Does that make “us” right and “them” wrong, or vice-versa?

No, not at all.

It’s just not right for women to dress like that.

It’s just not right for children to behave that way.

It’s just not right for people to hold those view points.

And our airwaves are inundated with Rush Limbaughs, who are more than ready to express outrage about how “those people” are so off-track. You know, the all too prevalent attitude of, this is “America” and we don’t do it that way.

As a by-product of growing up in a hung-up society, I’m sometimes too quick to judge someone as being in the wrong when they take a different approach than what I might deem appropriate to a given situation. That happens a lot here in the business context, as well as in the area of personal relationships.

It’s that notion of “I just can’t get over how they __________”

Well, get over it. Being “right” or being “wrong” just isn’t as big a deal here in Costa Rica as just, well, “being.”

If you want to get truly “latino-ized” (which is a good idea if you plan to live here) you really need to let loose of the Costa Rica expat hangups and take a more relaxed approach to life.

Hey, my book The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living is live on Amazon. If you’re thinking about making an escape from the rat-race, whether for political or mental and physical health reasons, or all of the above, The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living was written just for you!

Get the Book!

In the famous book by Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People, the author spreads 30 key principles of influence over its 4 parts. But the one principle that is perhaps most applicable to this Costa Rica expat guide to winning friends and influencing natives is…

Become genuinely interested in other people.

You might think, well that sounds easy. After all, what could be more interesting than immersing in a culture foreign to your own?

If that’s your attitude, then great. Perhaps it will indeed be “easy.”

However, over the many years I’ve lived in Costa Rica, I’ve noticed that many expats, while they might talk of being interested, don’t really live their lives here showing much of it. They patronize the ticos, as if they’re poor souls who need “our help.” They become quite adept at using the ticos, since many services can be obtained at a fraction of the cost for the same ones back home.

But are they really interested? Do they really show any interest? And do the ticos even notice one way or the other?

There are, of course, plenty of reasons we gringos should be interested in the ticos. After all, they consistently are rated as being the happiest group of humans on earth. Moreover, Costa Rica has these so-called “blue zones” where some of the greatest examples of human longevity can be found.

Granted, the tico culture is in some ways similar to any other. Wherever you end up calling home, you will find cliques of locals that are hard to break into. It will take some effort. The ticos will welcome you, that’s for sure, but perhaps not so much with “open arms.” First you will have to endear yourself to them. And that requires that you be interested in them. In that regard, Dale Carnegie offers valuable advice for expat immersion success.

How does one go about doing this? Well, you need to do it in ways that you feel comfortable with, even though initially doing it might make you a bit uncomfortable.

Learning to enjoy their sport, soccer, is vital. More importantly, learning to call it by its proper name, fútbol, can be a great start. Take care not to jump on any one team’s side too quickly. That’s a great way to become endearing to some, while alienating yourself from many others. It’s OK to answer the common question of whether you are for La Liga, or Saprissa (the two historic national rivalry teams) with one or the other, but just don’t be too overly vehement about it.

And, of course, always voice and display rousing support for Costa Rica’s national team, La Selección. You can do this by showing up for the games at popular viewing places, wearing national team colors. And be as vocal in your support as they are. That will win you a lot of respect…believe me!

It goes without saying that learning to be conversational with the Spanish language will go a long way in helping you immerse, win friends, and influence the natives. If you need to take a course, take one. But more than anything else, talk with them. The best way to learn how to actually speak a foreign language is to, well, speak it and speak it often.

I could ramble on in this brief Costa Rica expat guide to winning friends with countless other tips, but they’d all amount basically to just good common sense. The major things to remember are that the ticos deserve your respect, their culture indeed merits your interest, and yes they certainly do notice your indifference.

We’re living in a strange world. Consider it…

You have the phenomenon of mass exodus…refugees of war and human conflict and, soon-to-be, climate, seeking haven on safer, drier and higher ground abroad…

You have nativists at home clamoring for their governments to slam the door in the face of all comers, especially the neediest of them…

You have leaders, like Trump, as well as others, claiming that we must stick up for and protect our own in the midst of this movement of the masses…

What gets lost in all this is a simple truth. And that simple truth is that we’re all in this together. We have one and only one planetary ship on which to enjoy this one life and we’d better protect it and preserve the life that’s still left on it, or all this talk about “blank first” will go by the wayside and we into the dustheap of human history.

In my blog, Revolutionary Misfit, I talk a lot about the Big US. I like to use the metaphor of the Titanic. You know, that invincible ship that got deep-six’ed by a relatively small floating ice cube. And in that moment, when all was going to hell in a hand-basket, the ordered societal division that had ruled the decks turned into a chaotic quest for survival.

We don’t want to see our planet turn into that…now do we?

But that just might be where it’s headed.

So, what’s the answer and what does it have to do with “expat mindfulness.”

From the perspective of an expat, or those who’ve taken up residence in a host country, that concept does not seem so far-fetched, or it certainly shouldn’t. One thing being an expat for all these years has taught me is an endearing respect for immigrants, since I have voluntarily become one myself.

A couple years ago my wife and I decided that maybe we should move back to the U.S. for a while. We were having a hard time economically and we hallucinated that perhaps things could be better.

She’s a Colombian born citizen, but a Costa Rican nationalized one. Through our marriage she was able to obtain a U.S. visa. So, off we went. Little did we realize how hard it would be for her to move from the status of a tourist to that of resident, or even citizen. Let me tell you folks, it ain’t easy and certainly not cheap. And do you think for a minute that the majority of those poor Central Americans and Mexicans crossing the Rio Grande in search of a better existence, that Trump wants to block with his great wall, have the slightest chance of doing it the “right way?” The answer is no, they really don’t.

And the above doesn’t even begin to touch the plight of Syrian, and other, refugees. Those fleeing, not only from economic misery, but for their very lives. They also have little chance to make it to any semblance of safety unless countries like the U.S. help them. We can do it, but these days we refuse to. We refuse to because of a small us mentality. And that mentality is not the direction this world needs to head in. As Donald Trump likes to say…believe me!

The concept of World Citizenship is not meant to imply open borders. Countries have borders and they should be protected. That’s just the way it is. What it does imply is a different mindset held by those legally within those borders vis-à-vis “outsiders.” They are your brothers and sisters. It doesn’t matter what color they are, what language they speak, or what god they worship…we are all part of the same species living together on this revolving rock called planet earth.

And that, again hopefully, can create a better existence for us now and a better world for the future.

I’ve noticed over the years that there are two types of expats, or would-be expats, that arrive to Costa Rica, both with big dreams and high expectations…

The first type consists of those expats who are looking for a different style of life than what they left behind. They are often seeking a greener, less cluttered, less materialistic, and more sustainable existence.

The second type is basically looking to transfer the same level of materialism that he or she enjoyed back home to Costa Rica, but to experience it with a more tropical/exotic flare…and with better weather, of course.

You can probably guess the ones I prefer to work with. Although, truth be told, the second set usually arrives with more money in tow. That can make a Costa Rica real estate agent’s eyes turn green!…especially those with PHDs…you know, the poor, hungry and driven ones.

Truth is that I like working with any wanna-be expat because I get a kick out of showing off this great country, with its multitude of marvels and mysteries. I do get pissed off sometimes, however, when folks try to create their own personal version of it.

Costa Rica is what it is and despite the valiant efforts of a handful of materialistic-minded gringo expats, it ain’t gonna change any time soon.

I have written before about my view that “American-style” consumerism is at the root of many problems the world faces.

Often I’ve contrasted that high consumption lifestyle with what prevails here in Costa Rica. Comparatively speaking, the Costa Rica lifestyle is marked by low consumption, although the influx of North Americans in the last couple decades threatens to change all that.

Granted, low consumption isn’t for everybody. I understand that. But I can imagine that if enough people live this way, the earth might become a better place, or at least we’d have a more sustainable planet that might remain an enjoyable place for future generations.

What exactly am I getting at with this idea of a Costa Rica lifestyle of low consumption?

Let me provide some examples. As always, there are exceptions! But exceptions don’t make the rules.

Costa Ricans don’t, for the most part, use appliances, such as dishwashers and clothes dryers, that consume inordinate amounts of electricity.

In the higher altitudes of Costa Rica, like the Central Valley, no one uses air condition, nor heat.

Down on the coast that may be a different story, at least for a/c. But not really if you live high enough to cool things down a bit with an ocean breeze, as well as a spectacular view. Yes, there are places where you can “have your cake and eat it too” in Costa Rica!

In Costa Rica, we often grow our own food, or it could just be growing wild on its own, right in your backyard. We don’t need to buy our produce from industrialized farms that are depleting the soil and poisoning it, and us, with pesticides.

We often buy from local farmer’s markets. Again, food here is usually grown locally rather than on industrialized farms located far away, which then has to shipped to a grocer near you. There has been a recent push for organic or hydroponic home gardening. Many expats are growing or buying exclusively organic.

We buy used cars and then drive them to the last kilometer. This is in large part due to the ridiculously high cost of new imports, but it helps keep our consumption rate low compared to other “more developed” societies where consumers buy new cars every few years. We also like taking the bus and don’t view the act as having any negative socio-economic class implications.

In Costa Rica we are into protecting the environment because we realize it’s the main reason we get up every morning with a smile on our face. Not to mention the dollars it brings from others who like to visit frequently and enjoy a similar experience.

I could go on, but you’ve probably already caught my drift.

For those of you who are intrigued by the idea of becoming a less materialistic human who embraces the Costa Rican lifestyle of lower consumption, come on down, the water is very nice.

For those of you who aren’t, but would like to give the expat life a try anyway, we welcome you as well. Just please try to keep an open mind. Costa Rica might just teach you a thing or two!

There are downsides of Costa Rica expat living. I mean, it’s not all a bed of roses.

Here are just a few inconveniences you will experience on a regular basis in your new home…

Frequent power outages – due to storms, rationing, or perhaps just because the system had a hiccup.

Rain, Rain, and more Rain – Rain will become part of your life in Costa Rica. In fact, if it weren’t for rain, there’d be no Costa Rica, or at least not the lush green one that drew you to consider the Costa Rica expat life.

Bad Roads – I watched a 1947 documentary on Costa Rica the other day. It claimed that Costa Rica has some of the best roads in the world. Really? Not the ones I drive on. Costa Rica’s roads are notoriously bad. Like bad enough to loosen your tooth filings, or induce labor. But that’s just part of the adventure.

The Language Barrier – If you don’t arrive moderately fluent, and most don’t, you’ll soon discover that routine things like going to the bank become exercises in humility, patience and empathy for those poor non-English-speaking Mexicans in the U.S. that Donald Trump wants to deport.

Intermittent Internet – If you’re like me and do about 95% of your work online, well, having a secure internet connection becomes a very necessary convenience. That’s hard to find in Costa Rica. In fact, it’s downright impossible to find in most places in Costa Rica, especially those remote jungly and beachy places where expats love to congregate.

Bugs – I get a kick out of gringos who complain about insects. What do you expect, moron, you made a decision to live in one of the most tropical and bio-diverse locations on earth and you didn’t think that there might be bugs? By the way bio-diversity doesn’t just signify a plethora of those fuzzy and colorful creatures we like to snap photos of…it also means insects…and Costa Rica has about a gazillion different species of them!

The Slow Pace of Life – wait a minute, isn’t that supposed to be a positive thing? Well sure, but for most gringos who’re used to that fast track, rat-race sort of lifestyle, adjusting to the slowness of Costa Rica is quite a challenge. In fact, it can be quite a stressful challenge as all that gringo impatience is slowly squeezed out of your system.

Waiting in Line – the ticos have perfected the art of waiting in line, perhaps because they get so much practice doing it. Bank lines are a notorious example. I’ve little seen people pass out in a Costa Rica bank line. The line waiting skills of gringos are not quite so developed, but for the expat, you’ll learn them, soon enough.

Easy Access to Stuff – as gringos, we’re used to being able to find pretty much anything we want fairly quickly. That ain’t happening in most places in Costa Rica. If you live in an urban area like San Jose, perhaps it becomes an easier task, but still just not the same.

Easy Access to Cheap Stuff – and even if you do live in a big city like San Jose and can easily find most anything, you’ll still find that it costs a hell of a lot more than back in the U.S.

The Metric System – for those of us who’ve spent most of our life in the U.S., the metric system is, well, just plain weird. Who cares if the rest of the world uses it, we gringos are different, and we don’t. Of course, Costa Rica is on the metric system and they don’t give a hoot how different you are…adapt or suffer the consequences.

Now, none of the above downsides of Costa Rica expat living are insurmountable and neither should the fact that you will experience all of them dissuade you from moving forward with your expat plans. But it pays to know what you’re getting into.

One of the ways you can plan for them is to think about which ones are most important for you to avoid and try to choose a living arrangement where those particular downsides of Costa Rica expat living are less likely to be routinely experienced at excruciating levels of patience testing.

For instance, if having good reliable high speed internet and access to shopping on a level that you’re used to having back in the states is important to you, then you probably don’t want to opt for a life in some remote jungle, as alluring and adventurous as that might sound.

Costa Rica has a lot of options, from the remote life in some bio-diverse location to highly cosmopolitan city living in a place where new state-of-the-art malls seem to pop out of the ground like the ever-present lush vegetation. In my book, The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living, I explore these options in more detail. The intent of that book is to help you choose among them.

What’s most important, however, is your attitude. It’s up to you to deal with the downsides of Costa Rica expat living in positive ways. Believe me, it’ll be easy to develop a bad attitude about these downsides, or about Costa Rica in general. Many come here and make that mistake.

Don’t be one of them.

Hey, my new book The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living is live on Amazon. If you’re thinking about making an escape from the rat-race, whether for political or mental and physical health reasons, or all of the above, The Definitive Guide to Costa Rica Expat Living was written just for you!

Get the Book!

Shuttle diplomacy is when negotiations are conducted by a mediator who facilitates communication between two parties, usually leaders of different countries, who are reluctant to hold direct discussions. And that reluctance is often as a result of a high degree of distrust that has developed between them.

Unfortunately, in this world we are currently living in, parties of different cultures and languages are often reluctant, or fearful, of holding direct discussions, or making any effort to understand one another whatsoever.

One of the greatest joys in my 16 years as an expat in Costa Rica has been sharing the experience with others. I rarely have a negative thing to say about Costa Rica. And when I do, it’s usually said in a humorous spirit. The things that have annoyed me, I usually try to shrug off with a smile and not take them, or my annoyance, too seriously.

That doesn’t mean that life in Costa Rica has always been just peachy for me. Oh for sure I’ve had more than my fair share of ups and downs here. But I don’t let the downs color my overall outlook about the place. The picture I always try to paint for others is one of wonder. Costa Rica is a wonderful place to live. There’s just no doubting that.

So, why spread a negative message? I mean if you don’t like the place, then the decision to move on is probably your best option. But if you do, then tell others about it! Exercise expat shuttle diplomacy by offering to be the bridge between their culture and this new and mysterious one that they’re surely to be a bit curious about. If they ask you if the natives are restless, tell them, hell yes…they party all night, every night, because they are just that damn happy!

The world will become a more unified place when diverse cultures have a better understanding of one another. It will happen when we all come to the Big US realization that we’re really all after the same basic things…a life of dignity, peace, health, love and happiness…right? The differences between cultures should not be a wedge that separates them, but a magnet that draws opposites together.

You can be that magnetic force. To do that you have to immerse. You have to know the culture that you have assimilated yourself in and know it well. That will take some effort on your part. Ticos bear no real responsibility to share their culture with you. They will, just because that’s the way they are. But if you want a richer and fuller experience of it, you have to ask them. You have to seek it out. You have to place yourself in awkward situations. Oh yes, you will experience some embarrassing moments, when you say or do the wrong thing. But those are learning opportunities and memories that will make you smile in the years to come.

And what you learn from that immersion experience you should share with those of your home culture. Let them know how these “others” live. It will be an eye opening experience for them, just as it was for you. When you invite them down, don’t shelter them from it (the foreign culture, that is). No, rather expose them to it, even if that has the potential of making them feel a bit uncomfortable, like you once were. It will be good for them, as it was for you. Of course, help them through it…a little. It’ll also be a great opportunity to get a few laughs at their expense…no real harm in that!

In the same light, when you make those trips back to your home country, remember to carry along tokens of your adopted country and culture. Don’t be afraid to say “pura vida” and then take advantage of the opportunity to explain what that means. Cook up some gallo pinto for the family back home. Tell them stories from the deep dark jungle. I wrote a series long ago called Tall-Tales of Costa Rica Guy, in which I share sometimes slightly embellished stories of my adventures in Costa Rica. Starting a blog is a great way to share your experiences.

Have fun with it!

The previous chapter was a warning on how not to represent your country of origin. This one on being an ambassador will be an encouragement of how to…

There are no greater ambassadors of actual impact on a host country than we expats. Many of us sort of stick out like sore thumbs. What we say and do, even how we express ourselves, is noticed and reflects, either positively or poorly, on not just us, but on everyone and thing from whence we came.

Official U.S. ambassadors are nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate. That alone places an important imprimatur upon their office. They serve as accredited diplomats who are sent by the U.S. as its official representative to a foreign country.

Now, we expats don’t have so high a duty…or, then again, perhaps we do, or, at least, should.

We are of course not sent, but voluntarily move to a foreign country for personal, not governmental, reasons. Nevertheless, we do represent, largely, the experience that citizens of your host country have regarding those of your home country…outside of what they might view on the television. And, believe me, the picture painted by the television isn’t always very pretty. For that superficial reason, you might experience some predetermined and preconceived notions about who and what you are from the moment you arrive in Costa Rica, or whatever country you choose to call home.

And if those notions are negative, it’s partly up to you to change them and create a different impression. In short, it’s up to you to use a bit of diplomacy, much in the manner of the official diplomat. The last thing the president wants to see is for his or her chosen diplomat to act in such a way as to harden negative feelings that citizens of a foreign land have regarding U.S. citizens, correct?

Now, diplomacy is the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad. Like it or not, as an expat you are representing your country abroad. What locals see in you, they project to every other gringo. This connotes a responsibility on your part, don’t you think? A responsibility to represent you country well. To create the best impression possible of how citizens of the U.S. are viewed in other parts of the world.

The world, while evolving into a more connected place, is also, in many ways, becoming more and more disjointed. The lack of trust between nations and the peoples of those nations seems to be growing despite the phenomenon of globalization. In fact, this disjointed-ness might be growing because OF the phenomenon of globalization, or the backlash it is engendering.

The election of a Donald Trump and anti-globalization sentiment giving rise to national reactions, like the one we saw with Brexit, are serving to heighten tensions amongst nations and the peoples of those nations. Wars, motivated economically or religiously, and the refugees they produce, are also serving to heighten those tensions. The displacement that will occur as the result of global warming will only serve to increase this alarming trend.

But we can only do so if we exercise expat mindfulness. That is, if we are mindful of our important diplomatic role and exercise it wisely, empathetically and compassionately. We are in a unique position to exert this influence on the perceptions that foreigners have about “us.”

I believe one of the best ways to do this is to immerse yourself in the culture of your host country, while at the same time reflecting your own in the most positive manner possible. That’s not an easy task. It takes patience. It takes empathy. It takes humility. But in the end, you’ll be a better person for it, your local friends will have an increased level of respect and admiration for citizens of your country, and perhaps the world will become a little bit better because of your effort.

Please take this advice on being an ambassador seriously as you contemplate and visualize your new life as a Costa Rica expat.

The issue of impact (or purpose) does not evaporate the moment you depart your homeland for some strange land.

Granted, some poopoo on purpose altogether. They claim that there really is no purpose to life, other than to live it. And then still others will tell you the purpose to live this life is to improve one’s lot in the next one to come…the so-called “afterlife.”

I don’t want to get overly spiritual here, but then again, the concept of “impact mindfulness” does have spiritual implications. It is inextricably intertwined with the idea that we do indeed have a unique purpose. And that purpose is the impact we have one lifetime’s worth of opportunity to make on this world…not so much for our own good, but for the good of everyone and everything else.

Impact mindfulness is at its essence an altruistic mindset. There is this ideology that has taken hold throughout our world that eschews altruism. It’s the idea that one should place a priority on self-interest, especially economic self-interest. The idea that if we all do that, and if it can be done without government interference, then the pie gets bigger for everyone. That’s the essence of the neoliberal, Randian, ideology. In my opinion, it has made the world a far less hospitable place. It has unleashed the forces of absurd global wealth inequality in which 8 human beings now own more wealth than 50% of the entire world population. It has unleashed the forces of global warming, which threaten the next great extinction of life on earth.

The answer is to reject that idea by pursuing your highest and best purpose to make your positive impact on this troubled world! If enough humans do that, well, perhaps we can have hope for the future.

Now, you might be asking, what does that have to do with my interest in becoming a Costa Rica expat? It has to do with the unique opportunity you will have in making an impact as as expat.

I can only speak from my own experience. Living as an expat has opened my eyes and my heart to certain things that I was blind to before. I think it started by simply observing the phenomenon of nonmaterialistic happiness. I thought one had to aspire to the American Dream to be happy. That you had to “have money” or economic power to truly be happy. Well, here in this country I found folks with no money nor economic power who were happier than most in the U.S. who’ve got gobs of it. How could this be, I asked myself?

A few years after my arrival Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, came out. At first I was too busy trying to make a buck by building a business in Costa Rica to really pay much attention. However, gradually it dawned upon me, and the documentary helped in that regard, that if we lose Costa Rica’s natural beauty, then the reasons people come in the first place would vanish and my business along with them. So, I started paying more attention to the natural beauty of Costa Rica and how this global warming thing posed a threat to it.

I also begin to notice, with the help of some Latino friends, that U.S. interventionist policies had for the most part tended to benefit the U.S., but at the great expense of other peoples and the planet. My politics gradually began to change as the result of having the opportunity to be an American on the outside looking in.

I started to blog about all these new revelations of thought that I was experiencing. In fact, I blogged 365 times about them in my first blog entitled, 365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica.

All this culminated in this mindset, or ideology, that I now call impact mindfulness. And I don’t think that I would’ve ever experienced this paradigm shift if it were not for my expat experience.

Now, have I done great things to change the world? No, I haven’t. My primary way of making an impact as an expat has been by writing and expressing my opinion. It’s what I do and what I’m most passionate about. I feel it’s my positive path to greatest impact. Yours, of course, will likely be entirely different, depending on your unique talents and interests.

But the point is that I strongly believe that the expat experience can be for you what it has been for me…a transformative one. If you keep that open mind that I suggested in an earlier chapter, it can and probably will remove impact blinders and open your eyes and heart to your unique purpose.

Many come here with that idea already firmly in mind. Others not so much initially, but gradually come to it. The bottom line is that if you actually go through with your expat plans, get ready to undergo some radical changes in how you view the world. And that can be a very good thing!

My hope is that making an impact as an expat, in your own unique way, will become the purpose that brings you joy and fulfillment and helps the world become a better place for all of us.

Below are some useful links to check out, if you’d like to learn more about impact mindfulness…

The Revolutionary Misfit Manifesto

The Impact Revolution

The Revolutionary Misfit Blog

If I get real reflective and try to nail down what gave rise to my Costa Rica “addiction”, I’d have to say, more than anything else, it’s adventure.

I’m a person who’s always been possessed with a strong sense of adventure and Costa Rica has delivered. One of my earliest Costa Rica adventures was a day-long ride on the back of a buey (Spanish for ox) through thick jungle to cross over into Nicaragua (in a place with no official border crossing). This little adventure was thoroughly blogged about in the post, If There’s a Will, There’s a Buey.

Seriously…

Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but if you want a cushy and security-centered expat life, perhaps you should opt for the Mexican Riviera instead.

Costa Rica can be harsh. It’s rugged. It’s got bad roads, really bad ones that can loosen your teeth fillings. It’s a bit lawless, at least compared to the U.S, which is on the fast-track to becoming a police-state. We often speak of the streets of our U.S. big cities as being “jungles.” Well, in Costa Rica we’ve got real live jungles with critters that will bite and/or sting the crap out of you.

However, if you’re like me and imbued with an alluring sense of adventure, all of the above caveats sound enticing. I love being an adventurous spirit in Costa Rica. I love taking off into the jungle, either by foot, bike, or car, to parts unknown and discovering that hidden waterfall, or seeing some form of wildlife I’d only heretofore seen in books. That’s something you can easily do in Costa Rica without threat of any revolutionary guerilla interference. There’s no real “human” threat lurking out there in the jungle to kidnap or kill you. Granted there are some natural threats, but those are what make the whole process all the more adventurous.

Now wait, I’m NOT SAYING Costa Rica isn’t secure. It is. But a security-minded person will miss out on a lot. They will miss out on what truly makes Costa Rica such a special place.

Why?

Because security-minded people tend to conjure up reasons to be fearful where none actually exist. Haven’t you ever heard of the acronym FEAR = False Evidence that Appears Real? I’ve been in the Costa Rica vacation business down here for many years. I often get inundated with questions from certain customers who seem fearful about every aspect of traveling to a “3rd World” country. Right away I know that I’m dealing with a security-minded person. That’s a person I’m likely to have problems with as a customer. That’s a person who probably is not going to like the bad roads, the bugs, or the lack of bilingual communication.

I don’t mean to dissuade anyone from moving forward with their expat plans.

Well, maybe I do.

After all, I want to be the honest Costa Rica expat consultant.

So, in your particular case, perhaps it’s a good idea, in the course of making your plans, to also do a little self-evaluation. Are you adventurous? Or, are you more security-minded? If the latter, does it really make sense to move away from a place you feel secure in and into one in which you probably won’t feel secure, or not nearly as secure?

To repeat, I strongly believe that Costa Rica will mesh well with the adventurous-minded, but not so well with the security-minded.

If you are adventurous, or even if you aren’t presently, but would like to become, then by all means come on down!

Because this special little country offers never-ending thrills for anyone intent on being an adventurous spirit in Costa Rica.

Here’s a little video to announce some exciting things to come regarding Costa Rica expat living…stay tuned to the blog and Facebook page…

Pura Vida!