20 Years a Black Immigrant

Recently Lulu ‘the loser’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyGOih6JHB4) boldly shared how her dream crumbled before her eyes after living and settling in the UK for 20 years.

she came to the UK in her 20s and wanted to gain higher education in a prestigious field, leverage on gained skills, and advance her career and finances as well as become relevant anywhere in the world. Now, at 41 years she said she feels like her life is over and she is stuck.

A few of her unfulfilled dreams:

1. Failed to achieve her long-term goals. For example, she could not initially advance
her career as planned and in the field she loved.

2. Failed to achieve financial stability and independence.

3. Failed to integrate completely with British society hence maintaining
torturous ties leading to emotional and social turmoil.

4. Not able to raise her kids the way and manner she had hoped as a mother.

5. Loss of future flexibility and mobility.

Just like me, I believe you came to the UK and faced challenges you never envisioned.

We can count on things to go the opposite of our plan but to be forewarned is to be forearmed they say.

With intentional effort and a clear plan, it’s possible to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

1. Reinventing Your Career and Finding New Pathways

With the technologies today, you can juggle your job and career plans. If it is important to you, find a way.

Investing in personal and career development is not easy but it has never been easier than it is nowadays. You can pick up skills from online courses, certifications, and workshops can open doors to opportunities you might not have considered before.

While working on your job (where you earn money for a living), you have to create time to learn, improve on your life-long career, and network in that industry. There is no other way to make a living and learn to grow.

2. Building Financial Stability and Independence

Nothing happened for me until I began actively to budget and save. Soon I took control and the feeling of being overwhelmed decimated.

There is no escaping financial discipline - the only way to have some money for investments and development. Gaining financial education or literacy today is free or at a next-to-nothing price.

In simple terms, creating a budget and savings for rainy days is a crucial step toward investing. Your investments are the only way to live and raise money when you are no longer able to work like you used to or work at all.

3. Fostering Cultural Integration and Emotional Resilience

When we leave our home country we must truly leave it behind and start a new home for ourselves and our children.

You cannot live as you used to live in your home country. Your lifestyle should match the new environment. Your financial management should be in sync with the new world. This takes learning and to prosper in this new place you must accept this.

You are now British even before it appears on a passport or despite your skin colour remaining the same. Pick up things that will help you adjust to this new place as quickly as you can.

Fighting this is an unsurmountable and uphill task. The reason people can not expand their horizons is this simple - they are fighting against the current, believing they are someone they no longer are. No growth can come from this.

The challenges we face don’t define us—how we respond to them does. By embracing personal growth, financial empowerment, and emotional resilience, it’s possible to reclaim control and move toward a fulfilling life.

The stories of individuals like Lulu serve as cautionary tales and invaluable lessons for others navigating life in the diaspora. While challenges may differ from person to person, the recurring themes of unfulfilled dreams, financial instability, and cultural disconnection affect us all. These highlight the critical need for self-awareness, planning, and adaptability.

To avoid repeating these mistakes, align your career and financial goals with realistic strategies, embrace change, and actively work and pursue personal and professional growth.

The journey of immigrants underscores the reality that dreams alone are not enough—they require careful planning, disciplined execution, and a willingness to adapt. While the system can be challenging and life abroad often comes with unexpected hurdles, it is always a better option than remaining back home.

It is my earnest prayer that this will change for our children and their children.