Wish Dish | Share Your Story

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Making Roads

Ever since I was a child, my parents have always pushed me to become self-reliant and take advantage of any opportunities that came my way, no matter how huge or minuscule, with a smile.

From all of the things they taught me, something my dad said stuck with me; “If you don’t see a road ahead, start paving one yourself.” Sometimes in life, you will not be able to see the roads ahead of you. Sometimes, you will run into a dead end. But you can’t and should not stop because you are scared of what is to come or you are in a rough spot in your life.

The minute you give up, you not only give up on yourself, but you also extinguish the fire that ignited the passion and drive to pursue your goals in the first place. I remember when I was 8 years old, the recession had started to increase in terms of severity.

Businesses were going bankrupt, people began to move away, and homes were being seized by the bank.

My dad, through all of the financial issues he began to see as the recession began to seep into our family, smiled through the pain. He began to pave his own roads, no matter how many dead ends he hit. He did not let any of us know how hard he worked and never let us feel like we should adjust to a lifestyle that we were not comfortable with.

Every day, he would come home at 2-3 AM at night just so he could get us through the recession and he did. It took a while, but he did not give up. If he had given up, we would have moved to Oklahoma, sold the store my family owned for 12 years, and living a life that would have been full of regrets and constant mockery.

The only reason my family is not in that position now is because my father did not lose that passion and drive burning deep in his heart.

It is because of the fact that he woke up every morning and said, “I will not let this stop me. I will pave my own road and I will get through this.”

There are countless personal stories that I have experienced just like this one, but reading the stories is not going to help. This piece is not just to entertain you when you are bored, or to tell you about the experiences that I have faced.

It is to try and awaken that inner drive and light a fire that will continue to burn in times of darkness and difficulty.

It is to tell every reader out there that going through a rough patch does not mean it is the end. You will get through it as long as you stay focused on your goals and continue to work hard. The motivation you have to get started should not begin to die down because that motivation is what will guide you when you do not know what is ahead of you and give you the tools you need to pave the road that you choose to take next.

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Making Roads

Businesses were going bankrupt, people began to move away, and homes were being seized by the bank.

The only reason my family is not in that position now is because my father did not lose that passion and drive burning deep in his heart.

It is to try and awaken that inner drive and light a fire that will continue to burn in times of darkness and difficulty.

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