![]() These past weeks Nesrin, my wife, and the kids have been working as volunteers at a Syrian refugee camp; a “crazy idea” that my wife came up with and our kids quickly teamed up to join. At the camp Nesrin was working as a translator for Team Rubicon, a volunteer medical team and displaced families, going from refugee camps to hospitals, from hospitals back to the camps, organizing and serving as a liaison. Our kids on the other hand, have been working with the youth, playing sports, painting, learning and teaching languages but most importantly, assimilating into a different culture. After 10 days, I decided to catch up with them and flew to Thessaloniki, Greece Teaming up with some volunteers and refugees, I got involved in construction, assembling walls, repairing cabinets and building some furniture. A German, an Italian, a Spaniard, an American and an Ecuadorian volunteer, some Syrians, Kurds and Iraqi refugees were part of the crew, a crew that truly bonded! Although we all came from different regions, cultures, religions and spoke different languages we managed to get along great, while making fun of each other, we all contributed with and idea, with some knowledge, with some talent; we all had something unique to offer. All refugees, all my new friends, had a life before the war. They were successful in their own field; one was a businessman, the other a martial arts master, an expert welder, a farmer, an engineer among others, and now, they are trapped. Unlike the residents, the volunteers choose to be here, they made the decision to travel to Greece to help for 2 weeks, for 1 month or 3 months. We as volunteers have the freedom to take that decision. Yet, all these displaced humans have to continue living with the uncertainty of when and where their end date will come; they are stuck at the camp, they are in limbo, hoping that their status at one point will change; wishing that the war at home will finish soon or looking for a chance to begin again. For us as a family and all the volunteers we have a specific time frame, a start date and an end date; the end date is here and now it is time to go back home. Now, it was time to say our goodbyes; it was time to go back home and that is when sadness really hit us all Our kids had built great relationships with other teenagers at the camp; they became attached to toddlers and involved with their families, Nesrin, built friendships with doctors, volunteers, mothers and their kids. _At night, at dinner, after saying our goodbyes, we all were sorrowful, as if we had lost a friend, one that we may never be able to see again. Daniela our oldest daughter, commented: “It felt like when we moved to another country, we were excited for our new adventures yet our friends were sad, they did not have anything to look forward to, they had just lost a friend” At the camp before leaving I overheard Gabriel talking to a teen resident: “when I come back to visit the camp, you would not be here anymore, please add me to Facebook, so I can visit you at your home” trying to be optimistic with them. Isabela, our youngest mentioned: “leaving those kids, really broke my heart, I would love to take them with me” Nesrin: “today I really cried; these people need an advocate who fights for their voice to be heard” For me, watching the immediate results of quick action with an impact was great. The team of residents, as they are called in Elpida Home, proved to me that determination and resilience is key; the must needed attitude in order to move forward! Well, this journey has been an impactful lesson for our family and a wake up call for me as an individual. We were reminded of how selfish we live and how fragile we are. We complain, we get mad when things don’t work the way they should (in our minds), yet, we do not have a grip, we do not understand how easy everything can change overnight, how quickly we can loose everything that we “treasure” This journey, has truly transformed our lives, and these tough goodbyes are just the beginning…
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Today while working on a blog and looking for a synonym for the word empathy, I realized that my thesaurus could not give me one; it did not have a replacement word for empathy.
![]() Yesterday, while looking around our business that it is mainly built by immigrants, I could not stop thinking about an individual, a xenophobic demagogue who is a candidate for president and is using immigrants as his pawns to win votes. Yes, I was thinking about Trump, the racist candidate. _First, lets understand the meaning of the word demagogue: The dictionary defines it as a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational arguments. A demagogue is a “leader” who uses dishonest political techniques in order to gain power. It is an agitator that encourages aggression toward other groups, promoting nationalism and xenophobia with a hateful rhetoric and shameless lies; just like Donald Trump. _Then, lets understand why so many people migrate to the United States: People immigrate to this great country because they have hope, hope for a better life. They leave everything behind, their family and friends, their culture and possessions, in search of a better existence. Immigrants come to the United States to find work and to improve their lives and those of their families; they do not come to beg for the social benefits, they come here to build something! They immigrate to have the opportunity to improve their lives! These people come searching for The American Dream, the notion that everyone is equal and everyone has the same opportunities of success; the dream of waking up in a safe place not terrorized by war and other dangers. _So, when thinking about “Demagogue Trump,” as a Latino immigrant and an American citizen, married to a Muslin Jordanian-American, it’s difficult to understand how a politician is using demagogy and xenophobia to win votes. I recognize that “Demagogue Trump” has an irrational fear of people from different countries, cultures, and religions, but he must understand that immigrants built this great nation and to recognize that immigrants are an asset and not a liability for any country. Finally, does “Demagogue Trump” know that to become President of this great nation, the requirements are to have the ability to listen and accept different opinions, to inspire, motivate and unite; there is no tolerance to destroy, divide and hatred. This country is called the United States of America for a reason: to unite! _Looking at our company, I realized that our business, the one that I built with my wife is a true sample of what America is: tolerance, understanding and entrepreneurship. ![]() At home we don’t allow our kids to use the word hate… Why? Words and thoughts are the seeds; when repeated often we are fertilizing them and they will grow strong in our minds until they become part of our subconscious, until they become part of us. For good or bad this pattern of repetition is often done unconsciously; our inner conversation in the end changes our subconscious mind, which then, accepts them as real. If we let our thoughts connected with fears or anger seize our minds, our behavior and actions will be as negative as our thoughts; our subconscious will accept those thoughts and it would manage to throw obstacles in our way. On the other hand, if we keep telling ourselves that life is great, there is hope and we are confident about our success, we will find opportunities and entries to take advantage of those opportunities. This behavior is called the power of affirmation; every thought you think and every word you speak is an affirmation; positive or negative. Knowing this, if you consciously choose constructive thoughts and words your future will alter creating better situations and circumstances for you. You will improve your life by using the power of affirmation. So, when we stop our kids from using the word hate, we do it because we believe that hate is a strong word full of ignorance and inflexible thinking; a word that if repeated constantly it will be engraved in their minds and it will become part of their inner beings. They will become intolerant toward those who hold different opinions. Always remember: the thoughts that you express through your words will condition your mind and your mind is always what creates your reality! “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny" - Mahatma Gandhi |
Who I am today as a person is largely due to my failures! Archives
January 2024
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