Dear daughter,
Today I want to tell you the importance of making a difference in someone else’s life. Once upon a time, there was a lady called Mary. A single mother with 1 daughter. Mary’s daughter had a university degree in Human Resource Management. Mary was a cleaner at a well-known company. She was the only cleaner at this company. She is very hardworking.
Well, it sounds like all was good in Mary’s life. You might think that her life was well made out.
Why?
Because Mary had a job, also her daughter should have had a job, and everything was going well. mmm, not the case.
Unfortunately, Mary’s life was the other way around. Sad life. Poor life. That is how you will describe Mary’s life.
Let me explain why.
Mary’s daughter, 5 years after graduation, with a university degree, didn’t have a job. She couldn’t get a job, even having a bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, nothing out there for her daughter. Well, my daughter, this story is not about Mary’s daughter. Although I hope that things changed for her. This is about Mary.
Mary had to work hard, with a very small salary, not because she was bored at home, but because they need money to survive. Money, Money, is a big need in everybody’s life.
Every payday was just a disappointment, not enough money to survive.
Mary was tired of struggling, she had tears on her face every day. Until one day.
Mary had a colleague named Sandra that cared a lot for her. Sandra felt very bad for Mary’s suffering. She decided to help Mary. You might think that Sandra gave Mary a big sum of money to solve her problem.
No, my daughter, that will not solve Mary’s problem. Money can finish quickly, especially if you don’t know how to use it.
Sandra was a woman with a great profession and a financially stable life.
Sandra sat down with Mary, to first get clarity of the real situation in Mary’s life.
She realized that if things don’t change very soon in Mary’s life, she will end worse than the current situation, which was already very bad.
You must know that Mary was not young anymore. Soon to be retired. Only 5 years left. Imagine, my daughter, Mary retired with no financial income and no pension funds. No one to support her. She couldn’t rely on her daughter.
Mary is a hardworking woman and also a great cook. Something she learned from her mum when she was young.
But how can this help Mary? She is rarely surviving, not even enough food to cook.
This is where Sandra came in. She could help Mary to start a small side hustle, that can later become a small business.
Mary was angry at Sandra. She thought that Sandra was making fun with her situation. Poor Mary. But Sandra was very serious.
Sandra worked out a small business plan for Mary. This will be a side hustle with almost no money needed. Mary had to prepare a very famous dish in her community, a traditional dish that didn’t cost a lot.
Sandra helped Mary with the first ingredients. There is where it all began for Mary. Every Saturday morning, Mary had to get up very early to prepare the food. Then leave home and go and sell the food in front of a busy shopping center.
It was a sacrifice for Mary. Working hard during the week, and still getting up early during weekends to work even more.
Sandra was pushing Mary very hard. Sandra was living proof of personal sacrifices, which encourage Mary to follow her lead.
In the beginning, it looked like the sacrifice was in vain for Mary. Little money coming in. But Mary never stopped. She kept on pushing herself.
With the income she was getting, Mary could buy her own ingredients. She didn’t need financial support from Sandra anymore.
The customers loved Mary’s food. Things started to change for Mary.
Mary’s colleagues could see that Mary was not the same (sad and depressed) anymore. She was shining, and happy.
Mary opened a savings account. She started to save her hard-earned money.
She had bigger dreams now. With the savings, she can open her dream business. A chicken business. She will buy chickens and when the savings are enough, she will then buy an incubator. A good business to start in the area she will live after retirement.
Mary was on her way to success, with no sadness, enough food to eat, and her dreams, finally coming true.
And Sandra? What difference did this make in her life? She experienced that by helping others, you enrich your own life. This was great personal growth. So daughter, let your hand never be short to reach out to others.
What did I learn from Mary’s story?
-Money doesn’t always change all situations, Sandra gave Mary a business idea and helped her through.
That is what changed Mary’s life. As the saying goes “give someone a fish, and he will eat one day. Teach someone how to fish, and he will eat for his whole life”.
Also, not all businesses, need a big amount of money to start.
You can start some small businesses or side hustles with small or no money.
Love you, Dad