Someone I met a few months ago as a potential business client is taking a medical leave of absence for a few months to de-stress. She came to Vietnam a number of years ago as an expat wife. Her husband's company put them in a large house with a staff of 10, more than what an elderly couple would need. While other expat wives were busy playing mahjong, luncheoning and gossiping with each other, she decided to call a meeting of her household staff to talk about goals and dreams.
One of her housekeepers responded that she is not qualified to have a goal. She did not finish high school because she had to take care of her parents and siblings as the oldest daughter. The expats eventually decided to downsize their abode and have subsequently retired. However, she is now the CEO of a not-for-profit organization and owner of an interior design and furniture store that is managed by the ex-housekeeper who thought that she could not amount to more than a housekeeper and is now functioning as the president of the store, which has never had an unprofitable year. She is the first person in her family to have purchased a house.
The gardener ended up owning his own landscaping business with a little bit of seed money. He eventually sold the business for a profit and moved onto other ventures. The driver now works as the communications and business development manager of the not-for-profit organization as it turns out that he has a knack for building relationships and chatting it up with random individuals (a skill set he developed during all the idle time waiting with the car). Here's to her quick recovery and a reminder that we all should dare to dream...
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