KNOCK UNTIL YOU REACH THE FINAL DOOR!

Hello, how are you feeling today?

Today, like every other day, I woke up and worked with my loving colleagues in my team, and I somehow wanted to pause for a moment so I could write down a few things for my dearest Truly Inspired readers.

Growing up in an ordinary family, I lived in a small city located in the central area of Vietnam. When already mature enough, just like many others, I started to leave my hometown to work in a big city that gave me many opportunities to encounter different scenarios in life, and to develop and improve myself in the following years.

No matter if it is a happy or sad event, a success or a failure, I would always remember everything that I have been through in my life by many important milestones. Whether they are work-related or relationship-related memories, each would leave me with many emotions and valuable life lessons that truly benefited me a lot in putting me at where I am today.

I remember there was this one very difficult time. Even though it was already near Tết (Lunar New Year), I could not come back to my hometown and had to stay in the city quietly to celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year) from afar by myself with just a little money left in my savings, and it was such a rough time to the point that when it came to the monthly deposit for my mom, I had to take all the money out of my pocket to give her. My best friend and I had to tighten our expenses every day as we only ate a small portion of rice mixed with soy sauce because we had to save up the rice for those upcoming days. From that, we then continued to return to work and try our best in making the next month’s salary more abundant.

I used to be really pessimistic and cried a lot, and I somehow kept on breaking down before difficulties when being alone in such a prosperous land. However, up until now, when starting a new life in Australia and becoming a wife, mother and soon a Coach, then looking back on my past journey, deep inside I know it was truly worth my efforts. Those difficulties and challenges had come at the exact time to force me to push myself harder while exploring my limits and what I am capable of, thereby creating precious values for myself. I choose to overcome every drawback and choose to walk on the path of spreading positive inspirations to many people, especially my Truly Inspired readers.

I know you and many other people out there are facing a lot of difficulties, hardships, and even the mental or physical pressure coming from work and the surrounding relationships. For today, you might be having troubles with your marriage life, might be feeling down because the unexpectedness keeps happening one after another. Or on some other days, It is also possible that your startup is facing many issues and delays, or you are feeling very lonely and thinking no one could understand or be there for you when you are at your lowest…

Hold on, let me tell you a quick story!

I have a friend in Vietnam who has an extraordinary personality – she can always live with optimism and positivity despite just experiencing failures in both her career and marriage life at the same time. Her business’s bankruptcy, after 2 years of continuous struggling and losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had caused her to sell all her real estate properties and move her home from a large house to a smaller, narrower motel. To make things worse, her husband had another woman and proposed a divorce after five years of marriage.

What was surprising was that after all, even though there has never been one day she did not look pale, emaciated and pitiful, she has never stopped smiling. The smile was always there whenever she met other people or when she talked to me on the phone. During that time, I often called to check whether she was fine or not, and finally, she could find enough courage to open up to me and explain why no matter how difficult it was, she would always smile. She asked me, “Have you ever been to the hospital’s emergency department? Or have you ever visited cancer patients who are on the edge of dying as days pass by and asked them what they thought? You wonder how I can be that strong even though things seem so rough, right? It is because every time I feel desperate, I would go to one of those two places. I can see how those poor people are struggling every single day to regain their fragile lives. Seeing those patients’ loved ones rushing around to pay for hospital bills or prepare for the worst that could come after, I felt very grateful for my life. As long as I still have these hands, I still have this life, I truly believe that everything will soon be over!”

And I could not agree more. It is not until we fall into adversity and fight against death to regain our breath that we can fully understand the meaning of our life. In this world, if birth and death is the inevitable law of the Universe, and if we understand that whoever comes to this life will eventually have to leave at some point, then everything else is never too big of a deal.

If you were fired today,

If your business goes bankrupt today,

If you are misunderstood by others today,

If your marriage is going to a dead end today,

If you are spending the last change in your wallet today,

Then remember to breathe in, breathe out, and remain calm. It is going to be alright!

Have you ever heard this saying, “Cloudier mornings give way to clearer evenings”? Part of its meaning is as a reminder that when we still believe in ourselves and still seize the right opportunities, even when being in our most difficult and darkest times, one day we will be able to step out of that exhausting, miserable era of our lives. Moreover, when that moment comes, we will always have our deepest gratitude for life like how my friend has always had her gratitudes ready, “As long as I still have these hands, I still have this life, I truly believe anything can be done!”

…

We cannot know when opportunities will come to us, yet we will be able to identify them if we are conscious and positive enough. Therefore, always store positive energy within yourself as a “backup source” to be able to identify and seize that opportunity in time. Keep knocking on those doors, even if it is somehow impossible to know which will be the best openings.

Opportunities will come with challenges, requiring you to work hard and keep on trying until the very end. And do not forget that on each journey, “Observe the trees’ growth to improve the soil, observe other people’s lives to improve ours” – practise observing and changing yourself to adapt to everything. The final door will eventually lead to the best, most suitable room for the efforts and sacrifices that you have put in and endured.

I truly believe that you can do your best!

Much love,
Truly Inspired