I never felt broke
When I was 21, my dad passed away suddenly, leaving behind a young widow and two daughters.
One week later, I discovered we were bankrupt. Mum was given 30 days to vacate her house in the Canary Islands, Spain. I was alone studying in Madrid.
We were emotionally devastated and financially broke.
Mum was left with a widow’s pension partially seized by the state. My sister and I lived on state support after ticking the orphan box in a sterile application form. That’s how I purchased my first laptop. The 25kg bastard had a mind of its own.
But so did I.
Although we had little, in my mind, I was never broke because I chose to see abundance, potential and opportunities. I had a brain, resilience, and the absolute conviction that failing was not an option.
In my mind, I never felt broke.
I finished my studies and couldn’t find a job in Spain, so I applied for an internship to work for the Spanish government anywhere in the world. I dreamed of fancy places like Sydney, Miami, or New York…
Destiny had a different path for me: China.
When I heard the news, I called Mum in tears. This was 2003. I didn’t know anyone or anything about China. It was the end of SARS, and China was a scary place to go. No iPhones, no Google, no English. Life before Facebook.
I took a deep breath of courage and left everything I had ever known with a one-way ticket, a brown leather suitcase, and 600 euros in my pocket. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew it was an adventure.
I landed at Shanghai International Airport and made China my home. It was cold and foreign, but I made the most of what was in front of me. I learned the language, visited the entire country, discovered the Great Wall, and got used to being the only woman in the room.
2 Giants, 1 Opportunity
The jobs led to better jobs, the responsibilities increased, and so did the pay cheque. Eventually, I moved to Hong Kong and landed a job at Apple right when the Tech Giant married the Red Giant.
It was the perfect alliance between two titans, and I seized the opportunity with open arms.
A few years later, I made my first million US$, thanks to Wall Street and a bit of luck.
But nothing changed.
My mindset didn’t change.
I could lose everything today, and I would still be the same person.
When I feel defeated and lost, I look back and travel in time.
I remember the feeling of having nothing, and I remind myself that the only currency you don’t get back is time.
So make it count.
Opportunities don’t come wrapped up in silken ribbons. They are often not what you expect or wish for. The biggest ones are so daunting and scary that most people laugh at them and brush them off as silly or crazy.
And they forget that crazy is often genius in the making.
If you are feeling lost and helpless, this story is to remind you that you have the power in you to be the change you want to see.
The bigger the risk, the bigger the opportunity.
“When life gives you lemons, use the seeds to plant your own lemon tree” - The Lemon Tree Mindset
Lemons & Lemonade 🌳🍋
🔥NEW: launching the Lemon Tree MasterMind with 50 writers
📝 One Post: My Christmas Gift to You
🎬 One Video: Becoming a Substack Bestseller
💡One Note:
This is a highly inspiring story, Verónica. Seeing every situation as a chance to learn speaks volumes about your positive attitude and growth, like a seed becoming a beautiful and strong lemon tree.
The worst career seems to be those who are average the whole life, never broke, never rich, ordinary until end of life. Happy to see that you made the most out of possibilities with your abundance mindset, well done despite the challenges!