Often, we hear the phrase, “Life is a journey.” It is an ongoing
journey of learning and growing through the challenges we face. In every storm,
we have a choice: we can fight it and be bitter about it, or we can embrace it and
learn from it. I choose the latter because that’s when I experience personal
growth the most.
My childhood was not normal by any means. I was born and raised in Baghdad,
Iraq. Life challenges were a frequent occurrence for my family and me. We lived
through numerous wars and escaped several execution attempts by the Iraqi
government. We sought refuge in four different countries before coming to America.
We worked with the United Nations, Red Cross, and Unicef. We faced persecution
for our faith and for helping these organizations aid the poverty-stricken
people of Iraq. Despite everything, I would not change anything in my past as
these experiences and challenges shaped who I am today. The growth and strength
I gained through all of it are invaluable.
When I first arrived in the United States, I spent many sleepless nights
processing everything I had gone through. I often thought, why me? How is
it that I survived? I made it to freedom, yet some of my family and most of my
friends didn’t. That’s a heavy burden to carry at an early age, a burden
full of guilt. However, in my journey to growth and discovering my purpose, I
have learned that life is about my attitude. Instead of dwelling on why me,
I have shifted my focus to how to maximize this fantastic opportunity I
have been presented with. How can I use my experience to build and
encourage others?
My hope is to see people succeed and achieve anything they set their minds
to.