COMING TO AMERICA... I was 8 months old.

Some of you probably don't know much about my past and where I come from. Let me give you a quick snapshot.

My mother fled Nicaragua in 1984 when her country (a 3rd world country) was experiencing a civil war. When she left, the US graciously took her and her three children all under the age of 4 as refugees, as the situation was only getting worse by the minute. My brave, frazzled and frightened mom arrived knowing nothing more than a few sentences of English that she learned through some American pop songs she had heard. My sweet aunt accompanied her and my dad had already arrived months before. The desperate and horridenous conditions of Nicaragua left her no choice but to look for opportunity somewhere else.

From this decision on out, it was nothing but heartache (my parents had a very rocky relationship), laborious work and sleep deprivation. They worked tirelessly for everything they did eventually accumulate and by that I mean a roof over our heads in the kind of areas you probably avoid driving through today... a car and two minimum wage jobs at Burger King. They came from nothing but asked for nothing. They knew hard work and didn't expect anyone to give them anything as they were so grateful to be on American soil.

In due time, they went through the process of getting us all properly documented and that was no easy feat. Just so you know, its a long, intensive and costly undertaking to become a US citizen. And they had a family of five (and later 7 if you count my two youngest brothers who were born in the US) to consider. My parents truly astonish me. It stops me in my tracks everytime I think about their efforts and dedication to giving us everything they didn't have.

Somehow, my four brothers and I had the incredible and heart breaking opportunity to see my parents live this out. Day by day, they sought to improve their lives in almost every area. Every spare second with the exceptions of holidays, they were perfecting their craft and mastering their skill sets - perseverance, endurance, tenacity and grit. And with that came more failures then success but they kept moving.

Fast forward to now, my mother is an incredibly successful saleswoman and my dad grew his fiberglass business and was happy to retire and return back to his homeland. They are no longer together so if you have know a good man looking for a hot and spicy spanish woman, let me know! ;) I am determined to find her a prince charming.

JUST A FEW THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS

Hard work, out works everyone else - if you don't give up and everyone else does, guess who is opening themselves to stand out and receive opportunity? This was my parents strategy. They didn't know the language, didn't have connections and hardly any resources but they had grit. And they were quick to roll up their sleeves and get to work. And happy to outwork everyone around them because they knew it would pay off.

Continue to do the things you did in the beginning - my parents never lost sight of where they came from. I don't think it was feasible for them to do that - they lived in a 3rd world country. Even when they gained some momentum behind them, they continued to do the same things they did originally to keep them humble while adding new ways of life to allow them to move up into a new realm.

They were always searching - I developed my eye for "hunting" down good products/opportunities/business ideas/people and friends/jobs because of them. They never stopped looking. My dad was always coming up with new business ideas and my mom was an activator. Together they were a force. They never stopped their hunt even when they arrived at a good thing.

Living in America is a gift - my parents always understand and made it clear to us that being on American soil is a privilege and an opportunity of a lifetime. When you come from where they came from, you never forget that. And being here means you contribute and make a difference in your own way and in your own space.

Moral of the story? It benefits us to have nothing and start with nothing. Because we have no choice but to look up and reach up. This allows for grit and creativity to fully come out... traits that don't normally see the light of day unless completely pressed to do so. And when hardship comes your way, you master these skills and they set you apart. And in so many ways, I think this is also why I love "simple living" so much... it forces and brings out traits I don't normally get the chance to use/see. It allows me to master these skills that my parents ingrained in me from very little.

Hope this helps and inspires you in someway! Please feel free to share:)