Madina Ahmedova
I am always saying that Dubai is a very interesting city. It is a land of great opportunities, but it is also a city that tests the hell out of you before making those opportunities available and visible to you.
Every successful person I know in Dubai started their way from the bottom, usually with a very low salary, and climbed their way to the top, eventually passing through a massive learning, shaping and self-development experience.
My first salary in Dubai was 3K AED, out of which 1500 AED was spent on Sharjah accommodation rent, 600 AED spent on monthly car lift service to get to work (center of Dubai) and back leaving me with a generous 900 AED monthly budget for grocery/taxi and misc expenses.
It was hard. It was a survival year for me.
Many times I was tempted to leave and go back home where I could be comfortable, and at least not hungry (since we are speaking honestly here).
However, every time I wanted to write that resignation letter, I was always stopped by my Big WHY voice. It kept saying: “Why did you come here? Are you going to leave as soon as the first barrier occurs on your way? Life could be way worse that this. Focus on being grateful”.
I did not come to Dubai to give up and leave, because my first job experience was not ideal.
I did not come for an ideal life to be handed over to me. I came for a better life, and I was going to make that happen by creating it, because Dubai had chances that were available for me to grab. I knew I just needed time to reach them.
I stopped focusing on current setbacks and inconveniences.
I started thinking long term, setting goals and envisioning who I will become in 5,10,15 years.
13 years forward to where I am now, I was able to over-achieve my goals and turn all my visions into reality.
If I had given up 13 years ago, I would never experience working with Dubai greatest business minds as their right hand, becoming a public speaker, entrepreneur and coach, creating a company that would get acquired by an MNC within the 1st year, meeting my wonderful husband and bunch of amazing friends.
I would never learn Arabic language.
I would never know what I am truly capable of if I was not forced to innovate, solve problems, and, survive in this truly amazing city that challenges you at every step of your journey.
I would never be able to help 100s of women around the world create careers of their dreams.
I would never be who I am today, if not My Great Dubai Experience which started with a 3000 AED salary and a sharing accommodation in Sharjah and ended as a Top 101 Global Coaching Leader:)
I believe all of this was “granted” to me now, because I have passed the test.
The test of Dubai survival.
Source: Quora