Atiba’s Musings | The AiM Rounds | Worth Exploring

Atiba’s Musings 🤓

The Reality of Living Abroad

Hey,

I want to share something with you that honestly caught me off guard.

I just spent about a month back in the U.S. after living in the Philippines for nearly five months.

Before going back, I expected the usual questions:
“What’s it like there?”
“How’s the cost of living?”
“Is the lifestyle really that different?”

And yes, all of that came up.

But what I didn’t expect… was the one realization that hit me the hardest.

It wasn’t about weather.
It wasn’t about money.
It wasn’t about pace of life.

It was about how differently you can feel, simply based on the environment you’re in.

Here in the Philippines, as a foreigner, I’m treated with a level of respect and assumption of value that I honestly never stopped to think about while I was here.

It just felt normal.

People are friendly.
They engage.
They assume I belong.
They assume I have value.

But when I went back to the U.S., something happened that reminded me of a reality I had lived with for decades, but had almost forgotten after months away.

Within one week, I had multiple strangers assume I was:
• A hotel bellhop
• An Amazon delivery driver

Not because of anything I said… just because of how I looked and the situation I was in.

And here’s the thing, for most of my life, I learned to just brush that off. Laugh it away. Tell myself “that’s just how it is.”

But after months of not experiencing that…

It hit differently.

It made me realize something much bigger than those individual moments.

Because back in the Philippines, even small interactions send a completely different psychological signal.

For example:

When I walk past luxury condo salespeople here, they approach me assuming I could afford a multi-million-dollar property.

Not because I’m buying one.
Not because I’m asking about one.

But because they assume I have the capacity to.

And that subtle difference does something powerful:

It changes how you see yourself.

That’s the deeper realization I’ve been sitting with:

The environments we live in quietly shape the ceilings we place on ourselves.

Not because we’re less capable.
Not because we’re less valuable.

But because of the assumptions constantly made around us.

And over time, we start believing them.

So here’s the real question I want to leave you with:

👉 Are you in environments where people truly see you?
👉 Or are you in environments where assumptions are quietly limiting how you see yourself?

Because sometimes, growth doesn’t require changing who you are.

Sometimes it requires changing where you are or who you’re surrounded by.

And when that changes…

Your mindset shifts.
Your confidence expands.
And opportunities start showing up in ways you didn’t expect.

If this resonated with you, I’d really love to hear your perspective.

Just hit reply and tell me:
Have you ever experienced a change in environment that changed how you saw yourself?

👉 And if you want the full story behind these reflections, you can watch the full video where I share these experiences in more depth.

The AiM Rounds 👩‍⚕️

More and more doctors are joining our AiM (AI & Marketing) Rounds,doctors who want smarter systems that don’t rely entirely on them.

Think of it like after-hours rounds for your business: asynchronous, practical, and focused on leverage.

Here’s how it works:

1. Join a doctors-only WhatsApp group

2. Ask real questions about AI, marketing, automation, or growth

3. Get actionable answers (voice notes or text)

4. The best questions get deep breakdowns and spotlights

Good questions to ask:

• “I’m already using automated emails, where would AI actually improve results?”

• “How can I delegate this process while still hitting results?”

You get:

• Direct answers to real AI & marketing questions

• Daily micro-insights and prompts

• Weekly AI updates and tool spotlights

• Guidance without needing a call

How to Join:

👉 To be part of this exclusive doctors-only WhatsApp community, simply reply to this email and type:

“JOIN AiM”

That’s it. 😊 I’ll reply with the link for you to join the group.

Worth Exploring 💡

A few things I think you might genuinely find helpful this week:

• Bonus insights 🔗: Connect with me on LinkedIn — I share quick, practical ideas there regularly.

• Smarter delegation 🎯: The Delegation Trap — a great read if you’re tired of work bouncing back to you.

• What we’re building 🏥: TrueMD Institute - Freedom 30™ Tracker — see how the Tracker is helping doctors create more operational independence.

• Currently reading 📚: Beyond Blind Blaming — powerful perspective on ownership and accountability.

• Tool spotlight 🛠️: BrightLocal — a powerful platform for tracking local SEO performance, managing citations, and improving your online visibility.

Explore whatever feels useful to you ✨ Click the blue links to dive in!

Share This Issue 📤

If this message made you think of someone, feel free to forward it to them. Conversations like this are always better when they’re shared.

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Just reply with:

❤️ Loved it
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I read every response, and your feedback genuinely shapes what I send next.

Talk soon,
Atiba