Dey Dos Magazine January March 2014 | Seite 10

When you set out to your journey, ! do not be afraid of starting from zero.! It’s been almost 9 years now that I finished my studies in a Business School in Athens, Greece. My goal at that time was a successful career in Marketing in an international organization. Two years later I found myself getting ready to leave from The Netherlands, after an amazing leadership role in Finance and go to Zurich, Switzerland to deeper emerge in the world of Finances, this time in Banking. Five years later, I arrived back at home, in Athens, getting ready to start my new job in Higher Education. A lot of people praise how difficult decision that must have been.! “! ! ! ! ! ! ! I believe that once we know in our hearts what is best for our souls, the decision is very easy. ! So the difficulty in my story was not making the decision to change career and address but… starting from scratch: yes, in another new country, another business culture and most importantly in a new field, where I was being a newbie again and where the times when I said “I have no idea!” were far more than the ones that I actually knew what I was talking about! ! We all like heroic stories! We all enjoy reading about and getting to know people that have done something brilliant in their lives, that exceeded their limits and despite their fears, decided that they will not lead a life based on that; rather from a source of love for their souls and the community. What we forget to ask though is the hero’s journey back home. ! career It takes a moment to make a decision, but living that decision is a whole different story; it requires determination, focus to the goal and above all, a continuous manifestation of it. ! It is not one moment that defines us! In my view, it is love and our continuous effort to show up for what we believe in what makes us who we are and that gives meaning to the dash between our date of birth and the date we will pass away. That is definitely not an easy task. In our effort to lead a life of completeness and togetherness we make mistakes, we hurt and we get hurt. We hopefully learn through the process and we meet people that reveal to us new aspects, new ways of thought and life, new paths that we ask ourselves whether we should take them or not. ! Petroula Karagianni is a traveler, a wanderer; in places around the world, in unusual cuisines and flavors, and in different ways of thinking. She was born and raised in Athens – Greece, and that’s the place where she has decided to settle down. She has always liked writing. For her, written words were and have been a way to explain what is happening in her mind and heart. She has danced since the age of 6. Traditional folklore dancing, modern dance, and now and then when she feels like. Always for fun. A glass of wine, a sunset, a country song, the sea, a pair of high heels, a long summer dress, a camera at hand and a piece of the finest chocolate are small things that make her happy. Her family, her friends, and her loved ones are those with whom she shares her heart with. “With no regret. Never.” – as she beautifully puts it. In my journey, I have met two kinds of people; those that l