It is tempting to look at the finished product and to wish or wonder or envy, but what is never apparent at first glance is the sacrifice, the hours, the foundation that it took to get there. There is no such thing as an overnight success. I know that I had a great advantage because I was blessed with the parents that I have. They are the classic American dream. My mom is an immigrant who arrived in the US bright eyed, curious, and scared when she was just 19. Her education in Spain had tapered off when she was 12 when she had to go to work. When her Papa’s second cousin, who was wealthy by marriage, visited them and took pity on their humble family, she was presented with an opportunity to change the course of her life. This was a huge jump for her. She would have to leave the only life she ever knew, leave her 5 siblings, mom and dad, and fly halfway around the world to a distant place called California with someone she barely knew. Added to that was the fact that the extent of her knowledge of English was “Ok” and “Thank you”. I still remember visiting my grandparents when I was very young. They still lived in the “barraca”, (a Catalan word which translates loosely into “barrack” or mud hut) where my mother lived with her family until she took that step into uncertainty. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to see where her life began, it is a reminder to me of the amazing freedom we have to create our lives.
My dad is a first generation eldest son of immigrants, and was brought up “the old fashioned way”. The way where his dad was the king, and ruled the family with a tight rein. His parents clung tightly to the traditions and beliefs they had brought with them from Spain, and believed in hard work, extreme loyalty to family, and keeping the clan together. My grandparents were my earliest models for entrepreneurship. They owned a motel and a poultry business where my dad spent his youth working and contributing to help support the family. His fascination with radio controlled airplanes and electronics led him down a different path than his parents had travelled, yet the ethics and foundation they had laid for him of loyalty and hard work were the basis for his success in the businesses he builds.
They have been blessed, as I am, to have been born at this time in history, and to be living in a country where we have the freedom to build our lives into whatever we can imagine. It can be tempting to look at the success that others have achieved, broadcasted so persistently on social media. But what is not shown in those snippets of life is the work it took to get there. The sacrifices that were made by my parents, and their parents before them, are all layers and layers below the surface that have ingrained in me the desire to do more. No matter what hardships we face, the disadvantages, the failures, the challenges, we can achieve whatever we dream. The secret is that it takes time, the foundation of the house of your dreams must be laid, brick by brick. Don’t underestimate what you can accomplish in a decade. 10 years sounds like a long time into the future, yet when you reflect back and see the way the world has changed in just those 120 months, it is a testament to our constant evolution. Ride the wave of constant change, set big goals, be patient, and say thank you.