What makes someone leave a place
they know and love and go to a distant country?
More on that later...
Sometime back while brain storming on a solution for a client of ours with
offices around the world, I had a prevailing thought that kept coming up. I was
sure that without the diverse background of our team, there's just no way we could
come up with a viable solution. We can trace our roots to Peru, India, Vietnam,
South America, Europe and Africa. We’ve been able to solve some huge
challenges because of our diverse backgrounds.
As a first generation American, one thing I love about this country is its ability to absorb new people from many backgrounds with many ideas and have a positive impact not just locally or nationally, but around the world. Any country capable of that means it won't just survive, but will thrive.
Part of the reason the country is able to thrive is because of a working system
that’s been in place since its inception. At its core is a series of checks and
balances so that no one person or institution has control of all of it. That
system providers us liberty, helps us make use of opportunities while
protecting us from injustices.
There are many who
immigrate solely for personal economic gain but at the heart of visionary living is a desire to always
bring value anywhere you find yourself. That stems from the belief that as individuals
we should always leave things better than we found them. This is a commitment
that as we use up resources, we’re always choosing to be a resource. It
requires great character which is able to sail above any perceived or real
unfairness.
Staying away from the
politics of the day, I’ve found that those who migrate usually break out into
two main sets.
The first set is the group
who are always looking to see how the system could benefit them personally. They
find ways of taking advantage of loopholes and figure out how to exploit the
system. Others go as far as breaking laws to benefit from the system. In other
words they degrade the very system that was designed for their success. The
extreme worst of this set choose to attack the system since they can’t
participate in it. Over time, they are a drag on the overall country and make
the idea of immigration a problem rather than the great solution for a country
that has long thrived on immigration.
A better approach is to be
part of the second set who are actively finding ways to add to the system. Even
though they benefit from the system, they focus on providing opportunities for
others. Regardless of their struggles and situations, others are able to
benefit by being around them. The community improves because they are able to volunteer, educate and serve. While
still being proud of their culture, they quickly assimilate, adapt, learn and understand so as to make sure they are
always bringing value. In their businesses and at work, many others benefit
from their ideas, products and services.
No wonder getting to know
them is always a pleasure and a wonderful experience. In the short term they
may appear to be struggling and behind their first set counterparts, but in the
long term they prevail.
This second set is the
group that the founding fathers and policy designers had hopped to attract. To
get them to this country they discarded oppressive laws and evened the playing
field so everyone could participate and add value to the new system. Policies were
designed to make sure that those who brought value to America were justly protected
and compensated for their ideas and rewarded for their risks. They would be
protected by laws, protected from unnecessary government intrusion and
guaranteed certain liberties.
Know anyone is either set?
What does it take to add
value? It boils down to a much larger understanding that our time here on earth
is very limited. Make it count.
CEO, Lantell Sytems and Consulting
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