This week’s post is an extension of the previous post about my family history of escaping to Canada from Vietnam as refugees. That backstory can be found here.
The Hustle
When my parents moved to Canada in 1979 (24 years of age), they had no choice but to get a job—my mom got 3. Their first priority was being able to support and sponsor their family to come to Canada who was still back in Vietnam at the time. My mom and dad individually had to be able to prove a salary of $20-25k to the government and apply to sponsor the entire family of 7. They couldn’t speak English, they were new to Canada and had few employable skills so getting a job was going to be difficult. But they had one key skill that proved to be more beneficial than anything else—they had hustle. Hustle is being able to work harder than anyone else—working overtime, taking additional roles/tasks that other people aren’t doing, staying up later to support the team, and more. This ultimately led them to increase their salaries while accelerating their learning and progressing in their jobs. They had so much motivation to see their families and starting a new life. As mentioned earlier, my mom had 3 jobs: a seamstress during the day, a line cook during the evenings, and packaging flyers on the weekend. Despite working tirelessly, she had a generous and accepting family who sponsored her to Canada, provided her a roof over her head, and tried their best to teach her English. On the other hand, for 30 years, my dad woke up every morning at 3am for work as a machinist for an aerospace company. Life in Canada was spectacular—something about being in a country developing fast during the 1980s gave them promise for what the future would be like and they wanted their families to experience it. Their siblings, significantly younger (10-15 years), would still be able to get educated and start a career.
Personally, I can’t work more than 1 job or wake up before 7am, yet my parents did this for 30+ years. But then again, I didn’t have the same pressures my parents had of supporting the family and making income immediately—I was able to develop my own skills to grow. On the flip side, I don’t think I should need that type of pressure or stress to push me forward. Instead, I think a mindset change and understanding of my family history can shed light on why I am on my own personal mission.
Takeaways
Working hard is a privilege
If I’m working super late one evening or studying hard for an exam in school, I would reframe the situation to myself as “It is a privilege or be working for this company”, or “It is a privilege to write this exam”, or “It is a privilege to be challenged by these difficult tasks.” If I think about the situation, what am I really stressing over? Sleeping a few hours less? I have a comfortable bed, cooked meals, income, shelter, friends and family I can lean on for support—I have everything I need to thrive. Thinking about it that way makes work not seem so difficult anymore—time passes by, tasks are more enjoyable without the stresses that are so-called “first world problems.”
Freedom
What is the point of working so hard? For me, it is the chase for knowledge, money, and ultimately, freedom. These are not mutually exclusive—gaining knowledge has a positive correlation with making more money, and more money brings you one step closer to freedom. Freedom is not needing to work for a steady paycheck and be able to do anything your heart desires. It allows you to travel the world and help others without worrying whether you can keep the lights on. This is my personal mission—freedom for both my family and I.