1st Generation Inspiration
So my wife and I decided to join the local YMCA for our family. When my mother-in-law found out about this, she was very excited because not only did she get a month of free membership for referring us, she now had some exercise partners as well!
Okay, so the thought of doing early morning water aerobics with my mother-in-law didn’t exactly excite me, but sure enough at 6 am this morning, there she was. In fact, she’s at the gym every single morning at 6 a.m. sharp! I realized that this morning ritual of hers isn’t inspired by the typical motivating factors most of us need to go to the gym (lose weight, look good, etc). As a first generation immigrant to the United States, my mother-in-law worked for over 30 years (graveyard shift) on a GM assembly line in Detroit. My parents still work 7 days a week in the restaurant business. My personal experience with so many 1st generation immigrants is that there is a stronger internal DRIVE than the average person. Whereas so many of us demand an abundance of external motivation to get something done, there are those who simply know that there is no alternative, BUT to get it done.
So the next time you encounter a first generation immigrant (maybe a restaurant owner, your dry cleaners, or at the 6am water-aerobics class at the Y), try to observe some of that DRIVE I’m talking about. Some of it just might rub off on you.
