a friend’s story shows us just what is important in life

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you might have noticed that I try and vary my articles.

Some are meant to be hard hitting, others entertaining.

Some theoretical, others more practical.

And some are just for the heck of it.

But hopefully I do my best to make each one somewhat thought-provoking.

Where do I get ideas for my posts?

I try and pull together knowledge from my experiences, the books I read, the shows I watch, and finally other people’s experience.

It’s one thing to share my experiences or philosophical ideas and another to pass along those experiences of others.

It hearing how our next door neighbor succeeded gives us more hope.

Unfortunately, when we listen to experts talk, many of us say things like, “Well, sure. It works for them because of A, B or C. But it won’t work for me,” or “They just don’t understand where I’m coming from.”

And there’s some truth in as we are all in different situations.

The problem is that by doing so is we’ll miss some very valuable lessons.

All my studies and research has shown that the principles talked about in the best books of success and self-development apply to every one of us.

Authors and speakers share their ideas, but it is up to us to find the answers to the problems we each face.

However today I wanted to share with you a friend’s story.

They’re might not be rich or influential. And you have probably never heard of them.

But I do believe you can say that they did succeed.

I hope you will find many of the success principles that I discuss on this blog woven within it.

Adrian Shepherd

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It was about a week after my 7th birthday that we heard thundering noises in our city and it was artillery bombing Saigon.

Within a week my grandparents, me, my mom and her boyfriend were on the last flight out of Vietnam on a Pan Am airplane.

My mom worked for the airline and was allowed space with her family to leave Vietnam.

The families of other employees filled up all the seats and crowded the floor of the plane as well.

We went through a couple refugee camps and then ended up in the US.

Originally my grandparents didn’t want to leave their home country, they were frightened and nervous about starting over in new land with no security of having the means to survive.

My mother knew that there would be no other option than to leave and so kind of twisted their arm into leaving by saying she would leave with me and her boyfriend and so they would never be able to see me again.

In the end despite the heartbreak of leaving their parents,( my great grandparents were still alive), and my uncle’s family, my grandparents came with us on that flight out.

My mother had the moxie to leave to an unknown territory with no prospects of employment yet she knew that it was the right decision.

Eventually we settled in New Orleans and then to California.

My mom spoke English well and was able to find a solid career in the airline business and my grandfather went to work for the County of Orange, CA.

I am so grateful for my mom’s strength and determination to provide a better future for our family.

Her fearlessness and resolve is what most of us need to pursue our dreams, not matter how hard or far the goal seems.

We just have to make the first brave step to make the change, and step by step, eventually we can accomplish what we want.

It’s very easy to stay in our comfort zone even though a job offer somewhere else or complete career change will bring in the long run a better life.

Moving to a new town with no support system might be scary, but you have to trust your instincts and capabilities because it’s that inner voice that is your true self speaking before it has been muffled by fear and others’ unsupportive viewpoints.

L.Z.

1 thought on “a friend’s story shows us just what is important in life”

  1. Good story! When we have a big decision to make, we need to get accurate information about it and to have courage and also determination but it comes down to our valuable experiences. In this case she spoke good English and it gave her the chance to get a nice job. Every experience is a treasure of the life.

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