Luis Chanaga is a business professional and organizational leader. In the following article, Luis Chanaga discusses how leaders can embrace change, overcome challenges and commit to success.
The Japanese have a proverb, 七転び八起き (romaji: nanakorobiyaoki) which translates to “fall down seven, get up eight.” To encapsulate the meaning into a single English word, it would be: resilience.
Below, Luis Chanaga highlights the story of Michelle Nguyen, born from Vietnamese immigrant parents, and explains how her resilience turned obstacles into challenges.
Michelle’s story begins in the Vietnam War, when her father Michael tried escaping Vietnam by boat, but was caught and then “rehabilitated” at a re-education camp through frequent beatings. In time, Michael made his way to the U.S. and saved up to bring his family to America.
Luis Chanaga Says Commit to a Vision
Despite facing overwhelming odds, Michael stayed true to his goal: escaping communist Vietnam with his family. The path to the end can be littered with challenges, it may be longer than anticipated, or take unexpected detours, but the end is often worth it.
Growing up in a Vietnamese household, Michelle struggled with English. Still, she entered clubs, got a job, ran for Student Council President, and took up figure skating.
Luis Chanaga notes that during Michelle’s time in competitive figure skating, her mother Diana learned how to sew the prohibitively expensive costumes. At a young age Michelle learned not to be deterred by obstacles.
Choose a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is a conscious choice to develop what is lacking, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth. Instead of accepting their lack of resources, the Nguyens took stock of what they have and made it work.
Luis Chanaga states that when Michelle injured her back in junior high while skating she was temporarily paralyzed. The harrowing experience forced her to give up becoming a professional figure skater, and redirected her energy to other efforts, such as becoming the campaign manager for her teacher that won a seat in the Minnesota Legislature.
Focus on What is Within Control
Luis Chanaga says that the philosophy of Stoicism says that we can’t control what happens, but we can control our reactions. Just like Michelle, instead of feeling helpless during setbacks, energy can be channeled to productive pursuits to maintain control during chaos.
Years later, Michelle would enter the University of North Dakota (UND) in the hopes of one day being on TV, educating people about economics and political policy. Aside from being president of the UND Nonprofit Leadership Student Association, Michelle is also a National Scholarship Peer Advisor, and a mentor for the UND Business Leadership Club.
“I want to be a role model for first-generation students, the families of refugees and immigrants, and anyone who aspires to receive an education,” states Michelle.
Luis Chanaga reports that she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in economics and help others learn about national scholarship opportunities. Twice, Michelle has been accepted to the London School of Economics summer program, working with her mentor Yee Han Chu, searching for scholarships that will allow her to pursue her dream.
Lay Foundational Stepping Stones
To achieve her future goal of being on TV and teaching economics, Michelle is already doing all of that through her extracurriculars. She’s carefully placing achievable goals–stepping stones–leading towards her end goal being featured on business TV shows.
Luis Chanaga says that when financial trouble began to threaten her stay at UND, just like her father, Michelle was determined to hold onto her education. This led her to Chu, UND’s coordinator for academic support and fellowship opportunities
Initially, Michelle didn’t think she was deserving of a national scholarship, but Chu believed in her. A week later, Chu sent an application for the Dream Award, a scholarship for students who’ve overcome incredible challenges.
Among the 7,000 that applied for the Dream Award, Michelle was one of the twentytwo to receive the $10,000/year renewable scholarship.
Build a Strong Support Network
Luis Chanaga explains that without Chu’s support, Michelle might not be as close to her goal as she is. A strong support network can be the deciding factor when going through adversity. Receiving advice or encouragement from peers and mentors can give that last push needed to crest a hurdle.
As shown by Michelle, despite the many hurdles thrown her way, her resilience paid off. By committing to a vision, choosing a growth mindset, focusing on what was within control, laying stepping stones, and building a support network, she set herself up for success in achieving her goals.
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, embrace the challenge.
