This Will Be My Parent’s Legacy
In a world full of people being driven by money and all the wrong reasons, my parents have instilled in my siblings and I the true value of life and the people around us. It’s true that everyone loves the luxurious life – get what you want, do what you want. Growing up, our parents got us everything we could ever want, but they also taught us that, in the end, no one is going to remember you by how rich or poor you were, the size of your house, or how many cars you owned.
What people will remember you by is how you treated them and what kind of a person you were, and that has nothing to do with your wealth. Today, as I reflect back, I can’t help but be extremely grateful for the way my parents have raised us.
Here are the most valuable lessons I have learned from my parents that have shaped the person I am today:
Always follow your dreams and nothing can stop you.
The biggest thing that my siblings and I are grateful for is the fact that our parents never discouraged us from following our dreams. They always stood strong right by our sides, no matter what we decided to do. They never once told us what we should do or what they want us to do. They were and always are, our biggest cheerleaders. Whatever decision we made, we knew we’d have their unconditional love and support. This not only made me confident, but it made me see life from a whole new perspective – whatever I want, I can achieve and I have the power to knock down any hurdles in my way.
Be patient.
This was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn – be patient with people around you, be patient with yourself. Everyone is a work-in-progress. Never expect anything or anyone to be perfect, not even yourself. Setting high expectations only leads to disappointments. As long as you’re doing your best, everything else will fall into place. Always remember to be patient with those around you because everyone is different and everyone acts and reacts in different ways. Just because someone doesn’t show their love the same way you do, it doesn’t mean that they don’t love you. And just because you aren’t making progress the way someone else may be, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t.
Do good for others but don’t expect anything in return.
As a child, it was always beyond my understanding how my parents continued to be selfless and give their all to people that could not even do the least bit in return by appreciating and acknowledging them. But, as I started to grow up, I started to understand that how others treat you is a reflection of the kind of people they are. It has nothing to do with you. You can give your all to someone and they’ll turn around and say “I never told you to do that.” So, continue to be who you are and do nothing but good for everyone, without any expectations to receive anything in return. At the end of the day, not everyone has the same heart as you.
Family above everything.
For my parents, family has always been their number one priority, and those are the values they have given to their kids. Nothing comes before your family. It drives me crazy when I see families fighting over things that shouldn’t matter. The way our parents have raised us, my siblings and I would give up anything and everything for our family in a heartbeat. Family is our backbone. I never have to look for support from anyone else because I know I’ll always have my family by my side. And no matter what happens, my parents have taught us to never let anyone or anything tear us apart.
Free yourself – life is too short to spend it being vengeful or bitter.
All you can control is yourself. You can’t control someone else’s actions, reactions, or emotions. If someone hurts you, forgive them without waiting for an apology. Waiting for them to take accountability for their actions will only weigh you down while they’re out there living their life, without a care in the world. So, as cheesy as it sounds, let it go! Live your life, make your dreams come true. Don’t waste time over people that don’t deserve it, because for all you know, they don’t even know they hurt you in the first place.
Hustle for what you love and earn the life you want.
Never beg anyone for anything. What’s yours will come to you when the time is right. If you don’t get something you expected, just know that it wasn’t meant to be and something better will be yours.
I have always watched my parents work so hard to achieve what they want. That’s the life I want to live. There’s no better feeling than getting your dream job, all by yourself. If I achieve something, I want to be able to take full ownership of it and proudly say that my hardwork paid off, without anyone pulling their connections to get me there.
It’s okay if you fail but always remember to get right back up.
Once you understand that it is okay to not succeed at everything you do, the fear of failure will no longer hold you back. Every time I took an exam, my parents told me it was okay if I didn’t do as well as I wanted, as long as I tried my best. Every time I didn’t win a competition or a race, they told me they were still proud of me for competing. Every time I applied for a job, they told me that they were proud of me for even going through the process and in the end it didn’t matter if I got the job or not. They always made sure that I knew that it was okay to “fail.”
Everything you do is a learning opportunity. Failure is the only way you can truly grow as a person. If you don’t know what you’re not good at, you will never be able to improve yourself. So, take the leap and unleash your potential!