Last night my father didn’t come home.
No, he wasn’t out all night partying.
He spent all night preparing meals for 720 tourists who were scheduled to come to our family restaurant in Hope, BC. The restaurant has agreements with various tour companies in Vancouver and under our agreements, we have to feed their customers on the way to, and on the way back from the Rockies. Some days, there are 2 buses and some days there are 18 buses. They all pass through our restaurant and I will tell you, it is a lot to prepare meals for everyone.
I woke up knowing that he didn’t come home and I was heartbroken.
My parents immigrated to Canada over 30 years ago and have never had a week off of work since then. Call it old fashion, but they still believe that hard work and long hours will provide for their needs… I can confidently say that they are mistaken.
My whole life, I have been moving around from place to place, following them around from failed business venture to another. They participated as key members of the communities and held their heads high knowing that they had operated with honesty and integrity. They were loved by others because they always showed love and compassion… so much so that my sister and I believed that they loved others more than their own children! (I guess we should forgive them and get over it^^)
Being a business owner however, does not equal financial stability or freedom. It means you have an income just like everyone else. It means you have something to do during the day, but only because you have to. It means that you have to give up your true desires due to responsibilities. It means, you are doing something out of necessity without a true purpose or goal.
A few years before starting yet another business, they had jobs. Both were paid decent salaries and commissions but they were working like slaves to the owners of the businesses. I would see the effects of their long hours while the owners were reaping all the benefits.
Regardless of how much you think you are different from your parents, you are just like them! Actually, your behaviors, principles, thoughts and habits mirror theirs!
I had to stop, take a deep breath and think about where I was headed in life.
It seemed like I was following in their footsteps.
I had jobs… many of them. I had tried different things and had failed. (Actually, I had quit. but that’s for another day) I was destined to be like them… 55 and still working 40 hour shifts with no time to even think about what’s going on in life.
I had to stop. I had to take a deep breath and I had to change the habits passed down from generation to generation.
There will be a time when I will have children of my own. When I began to think that my future consists of more than just myself, I had to consciously change the way I thought. I had to change my habits. I had to change my family’s financial situation.
So I took action. Working long hours is not the most effective or efficient way of creating wealth and value. Understanding the need to constantly learn and improve while maintaining a path in the direction of your burning desire is the way to achieving something in life.
I’ve realized that success is not something you can acquire but it is a state of mind.
I’m reminded of the saying, “Keep your eyes on the prize”.
Well, I used to think, “No sh*t, Sherlock”. Isn’t it obvious??
How naive was that, eh? (Yes, I was born in Canada)
Keeping your eyes on the prize means that you have not yet reached your destination yet. If you had reached your prize, it would sound more like, “Good job, here is your prize!”
Success is a decision.
Don’t be a fool, make informed decisions.
Don’t procrastinate, if you say you’ll do it later, you will succeed later.
Don’t be so cynical, take the positive out of everything you can and apply it.
Work will get you a paycheck, smart work will set you free.
Don’t ever be satisfied but always be thankful…
I dare you to dream.
davidtaekim 