Here is Where I start Introducing myself

My two sisters and I were raised by loving parents to whom I can never repay fully for the values, teachings, and love they gave me. I hope you reach a similar conclusion when you recall your childhood years.

My father was an ambassador representing Haiti to several countries. His profession allowed the family to travel to different countries, learn additional languages, and appreciate different cultures, among other benefits. Gravitating towards and promoting diversity in thinking became ingrained at a young age.

With the rise of communism in Cuba and the escalation of dictatorship in his homeland, my father sought refuge in the United States. Leaving all possessions behind, he built a new life in our adopted country with a wife and three children. Experiencing all the tribulations a foreigner encounters in a new country, the kids in the family never felt the worry or apprehension emanating from the challenges and hardships our parents faced.

They adapted and moved on. My father was an entrepreneur, a businessman, an accountant, an educator, a professor, an avid reader, and a curious learner who earned his doctorate in his late 50s. He put food on the table while my mother, a teacher by profession, dutifully tended to each of her children and supported him lovingly, never doubting his capabilities and ensuring we ate a fresh meal each night as a family. Only after his passing did we realize the dire situation my parents stoically faced as refugees. While cleaning out his paperwork, my sister found an old checkbook of his. He had only $2.37 in his checking account. The communist regime in Cuba seized ALL his assets (i.e. (properties, bank account, investments) ) and the Venezuelan government froze the exportation of all US currency. Yet, we were never in want of anything. Our parents always ensured the home was a haven filled with love.

Lesson #1

In retrospect, this was my first life lesson: Take care of your family, and give your children unconditional love. Give them guidance and responsibilities. Adapt and move on.

Schooling was not an option, and finding a job was more of a tacit understanding than an explicit expectation. As early as 5^th grade, I had chores to execute during the week and on weekends. So did my sisters.

This background is an introduction to some early experiences that molded my character. It started young, and I had help.

We all like to believe we made it on our own. We owe no one anything. Our success is ours alone. The truth is no one ever really makes it alone. There is always someone there to pull us up, to help. In my case, help came to me through supportive parents and a warm and loving home environment. The saying: “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” would aptly summarize my parents’ philosophy.

I attended catholic, private, and public schools at one point or another. I didn’t notice the difference. You could get smacked by a teacher from any school in those days. Remember what I just wrote: “I don’t think I was particularly smart or bright.”. I don’t think I was particularly smart or bright. I was a regular kid going to school, making friends, and enjoying the days. Intuitively, I knew my parents put in the effort to give us a secure lifestyle.

Lesson #2

In sixth grade, at age 11, I got my first job as a newspaper delivery boy. Facing the 5:30 winter mornings in Montreal, Canada, was particularly jarring. You wake up quickly in 30 to 40 degrees below zero. Pulling that wagon filled with newspapers, you can get a bit of a sweat. The funny thing is I never thought anything of it until I was much older. There was no complaint about the early hours, the storms, or the cold. I learned early that work is what you make of it. I put in the effort to earn an honest income and was proud of it.

Lesson #3

My grade 10 school classmate challenged me to a wrestling match in front of all the school kids on the last day of school. He was bigger, stronger. I was a physical weakling who weighed 128 lbs, soak and wet. He was 3 inches taller and 33 lbs heavier. It did not matter that I did not accept the challenge; he had me in a headlock so tight and so painful, I yelled “Uncle” (In those days, this meant: “I give up”) in front of all watching. Going home that day, I got off the bus earlier to register for courses at a new recreation center. I registered and went there each day. I weight lifted, did a lot of boxing, and joined a school where I practiced Judo and wrestling. I did this each day.

On the first day of the following school year, it was my turn to challenge this same friend in front of the school. This time the tables turned. He never challenged me again, nor did anyone else at the school. I won because I chose to do something about it. I learned that, in addition to effort, you must have the will and the discipline to reach your goal.

Lesson #4

It was the second term of my first year in college (about 18 years old) in Queens, New York. I arrived home from a night out with my friends at about 12:30 am. Looking far away at the house across from my bedroom window, I saw a young man sitting at his bedroom desk studying. His window shades were open, as were mine. I decided also to study. I gave up after less than an hour and went to sleep. I woke up at about 7:30 am that Saturday morning for work. The kid was still there. I spent the day troubled by that. I told myself, this is the kid who will get my future job. He is the one putting in more effort and more time. From that day onward, I dedicated considerable time to my studies. It paid off with scholarships for my Masters’ degree and my doctoral studies. I continued to post-graduate studies. I met great mentors, innovative leaders, and humanitarians along the way. Guess what? Remember what I told you about not being particularly smart or bright? Well, I got smarter and brighter.

I got promoted faster than most in each job, was assigned more challenging tasks, and elevated to leadership positions. I learned that your present is an accumulation of your past. There is no such thing as an immediate success. It’s all the seemingly insignificant things you do that compile to make great things happen. I learned you need, an unswerving commitment to reach your goal. I learned also I did not do it “alone.” Others helped.

Lesson #5

You control your destiny. You can be whom you want, what you want. It takes adaptation, effort, will, discipline, perseverance, a strong work ethic, and a purpose larger than oneself. I worked at a supermarket, held various educational and academic positions, owned a successful business, and invested in real estate. None of this was by accident, but the result of values reinforced since young, things I learned along the way.