Thank you and happy birthday 150 years of Canada

This year, we are celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary in a very special way, as it is also the 30th anniversary of our immigration to Canada. We arrived in Canada thanks to the sponsorship of my big brother Bac Hai NGUYEN.

As part of the boat people, he told us that he had tried four times to cross the ocean to find freedom. At each attempt, danger lurked at him. Happy are those who are determined. He and his group managed to leave Vietnam at the last attempt and they reached Malaysia. Unfortunately, it was common for the Malaysian government to refuse war refugees. They towed their boat and abandoned them in international waters. Their boat was drifting at Pulau Tulai when they had the chance to meet a couple of Canadian tourists. They agreed to send a letter to the Red Cross asking for help. Thanks to the generous efforts of this Canadian couple, the Red Cross towed their boat to Pulau Bidong Island.

The island could accommodate a maximum of 4,500 people. By June 1979, the island was overcrowded with 45,000 refugees. They shared a surface barely larger than a football field. It was nicknamed “the island of hell”. Health conditions were non-existent and hepatitis widespread. Still, it was better than living under the terror of the Vietnamese communist regime. Imagine if the communists had caught them en route or if they had been attacked by pirates, it could have been much worse.

All the refugees on the island lived in the hope that one day they could find freedom in another country. My brother and his family were waiting for the adoption of one of these countries. They waited again and again. One country after another refused them, only Canada opened their arms and thus the heart.

I am one of those fortunate people living in Canada with this gesture of love and compassion.

This year, we celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary and our 30th birthday in Canada, to thank my brother Bac Hai and to show our gratitude to Canada for being so kind to us.

We took the opportunity to tell our nieces and nephews, who are mostly born in Canada, the story of their ancestors and their quest for freedom at the risk of their lives.

I wrote a letter to the new generation of our family so that they can learn from and build a future focused on their dreams. I would like to share this letter with you:

“Dear nephews and nieces,

We have the chance to testify tonight how Bac Hai fought for his family with the few means he had. It is therefore possible to realize big projects with little, provided to be determined. As Barbara Corcoran said, “I do not care how talented someone is, but I do not care how persistent they are. ”

Dare to have big dreams and go beyond conformism. After all, we only have one life. If tonight was your last day on earth, what would you change?

Accomplish, with what you have, who you are and where you are. Do not aim for perfection and allow yourself to make mistakes. Albert Einstein said: “A person who has never made a mistake has never tried something new. You do not have to be perfect. This applies to both professional and family success. We all have a more or less functional family. We have all suffered failures in our life. We all have regrets and remorse. But tell yourself this, a successful person depends on the length of time in which she remains in regret. Remember, people do not care about your failures, so make mistakes to improve yourself.

Let your dreams take you away. Don’t let your fear hold you back. George Addair said, “Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of fear.

It’s true that when you do not have children, it’s easier to start your career. I remember when I started my business, I was single. I slept in the basement of my parents, I ate frozen dishes that cost me $ 2-3, I was doing long hours. With my sleep apnea problem, I often went to sleep on my desk and when I woke up, I kept calling my clients. I won one client at a time. And each contract signed was very rewarding. It was difficult but easy at the same time, because when you do things with the heart, everything becomes easier. We all know that I am not intelligent, that I do not have a good memory and that I have several flaws. If I were employed, I probably would not have had a promotion. But just believe it so that everything becomes possible. Note that many entrepreneurs start their businesses while they have a full-time job.

You are in the right moment of your life to realize your great ambitions.

Wherever you are in your life, stay humble, because the biggest obstacle to your success is never the others, but yourself.

I wish you good luck in the wonderful adventure that awaits you. Remember, no matter how successful you are, the key is to give love without expecting anything in return, because without love, we are nothing. We are not here in this country by chance. It’s thanks to Bac Hai’s love and Canada’s compassion. The best way to thank them is not to take things for granted, to remember our history, to give back to society, and to make our country, Canada, richer and stronger.

At the end of your life, you will notice that what matters is not the number of beautiful cars you have in your garage, but how much love you have offered to others. On that, have a good dinner and tell yourself that the best is yet to come. “