My Greatest Lesson Learned

The greatest lesson i have ever learned came from a conversation that I had with my late grandfather in 2007. He told me about the struggles his family went through in coming to Canada during the Vietnam war.  He shared stories about his family business, which was the first Vietnamese restaurant that opened in Vancouver. The name of the restaurant was My Tan. He showed me many photographs and newspaper articles about this succesful business venture. He also shared the many memories of hard work and sacrifices that allowed this restaurant to prosper for twenty years. For example, my grandparents, my father, and my aunt were working there at least six to seven days a week. This was particularly challenging for my father and my aunt because they were also attending university and had to find time to study. The lesson I learned from my grandpa’s story is that nothing in life comes easy and free. If you want something, you have to go and get it and you can not expect something to be given to you. Hard work goes a long way, and a positive work ethic is what is going to get you through the hard days. There is no formula for success, it is a combination of hard work, determination, and perseverance.