To Be Successful In Life, Work Like An Immigrant

I must say, I’ve “had it up to here” with people born in the United States complaining about money, jobs, “the rich”, “can’t get ahead”, telling successful people they’re lucky… all of it.

You know who doesn’t complain? Immigrants. Immigrants who’ve been given a chance to make something of their lives here.

Immigrants are happy just to be here.

Some immigrants took extreme measures to get here. Regardless of where you fall on current US immigration policies, you can’t deny that many people try to flee extreme circumstances just to live here. How would you like to worry if you’re going to be randomly captured and burned to death? Or get hit by a missile or an IUD? Or run out of food? You can find better food in garbage cans here better than some people in other countries eat every day. Shall I go on? Many people not born in the US go through terribly trying times on a daily basis. They’ll do anything to get to a free country just for the opportunity to work in peace… and even better, maybe even try to start a business. They’ll risk their lives crossing the ocean in a rickety boat. Or swimming across dangerous waters. Or risk getting shot or captured trying to flee their country.

Yet, the people blessed enough to be born here complain. They complain about their jobs. They complain about minimum wage. They complain about how hard it is living paycheck to paycheck. They complain about our government. They complain about the police. And the list goes on…

No, our government isn’t perfect, but our problems as a nation are relatively minor compared to what other citizens have to deal with.

Don’t take your luckiness to be born in the US for granted.

I hate the word “luck” 99% of the time. But, for sure, I am lucky to have been born in the US. Anyone born here was lucky. Don’t take your opportunity for granted. You have freedom to choose your work. You have choices from a young age as to what you want to pursue in life. If you were born in a free country, you’re way ahead of others on the opportunity ladder. For those born outside the US, their #1 goal in life is just to get here — and you were born with it.

Stop complaining.

Seriously. Just stop. Your life could be far worse. Far worse. You don’t know how it could be far worse? Go back and read the previous paragraphs.

Practice gratitude and count your blessings.

Be grateful you were born here (or any other free country). I practice daily gratitude simply that my life is not as hard as what my father’s life was. And as hard as even his life was, it still wasn’t what it could have been had he not been born in the US.

If you struggle with being grateful, I challenge you to simply get a notebook and write one thing down, everyday, that you’re thankful for. Before you know it, you’ll have a super long list that you can look at anytime you’re feeling less grateful.

Work like an immigrant.

Immigrants wake up every day with joy just for the opportunity to go to work. Think about that! Their internal gratitude is about the opportunity to work! Many in the FIRE community could learn from this, too. Don’t be so whiny about having to work. Be thankful for the opportunity to work. Work is a blessing. It gives you personal satisfaction of a job well done. You earn money. You can buy food. You can eat. You have freedom to do a few things like watch TV or go to a movie. Work is good. And of course, with the money you make, you get to invest it and grow it so big  you never have to work again. They are happy with working, because they understand that work (and money from work) produces freedom.

Immigrants aren’t sitting around complaining about their bosses. Or how long they had to work. When you start to think about complaining about your job, think about the immigrant who’s just happy to live in a safe country, have a job, and have the opportunity of a better life and freedom.

Be thankful for any kind of work. That doesn’t mean you have to like or enjoy all work. But be thankful for it.

For the politically correct…

• This post isn’t about saying the US is “better than all other countries”. I respect all countries and am a big believer in individual choices and freedoms. This is about being thankful for being born in a free country.
• This post is in no way making fun of immigrants. Immigrants who come here and make something of their lives and their children’s lives are heroes. I hope that’s clear.
• If you were born here, and you’re offended by this post… good. Keep reading it until you’re not offended anymore.

Thoughts?

I’d love to hear what you think of this post. And if you don’t know what to say, simply post something you’re thankful for…