When my father came to Italy for the first time, he thought everything would be more accessible. But first, he lost his parents. Then, his boss treated him as an animal that could only work. He was misunderstood and underpaid. But he kept going through everything.

Every time life challenges me, I remember his resilience. And I noticed that time and patience can bring you far. So if you are struggling to reach your goals, remember that:

• you live in a fast world — everything might finish in a moment
• and if you give up now, you may have worked for nothing.

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My father never showed his emotions until a few years ago. He used to picture himself as a strong and independent man. So, many times, me and my sister thought he didn’t love us enough.

Kids often fail to understand their parents’ behavior. And we weren’t unique. But under his grumpy shield, my father always loved us. And he tried to teach us what he thought was better for our future.

Thanks to his sacrifice, I learned I could reach anything, even the most challenging dreams.

Toxic family members happen. Sometimes, they could even be your parents. But fortunately, my family wasn’t one of those cases. We always helped each other, so it was easy to love all of them.

But Dad taught me that family is not only about getting help. And although its members are the best support you can find, you must cherish them every time you can.

And dad always wanted to keep the family united. He demonstrated it by sacrificing to bring us here. And he shows it every time he calls everyone at his house to eat and party together.

“Studying is your job. Everything else is on me” — I’ve heard this sentence hundreds of times. But for my father, allowing me to study and seek my path was crucial.

He didn’t need to tell me. But he insisted every time he saw a negative trend in my grades.

He was often harsh on me and my sister. Yet, without his discipline, I wouldn’t have gotten my position at my job.

Most of what I own is thanks to the commitment I learned in school. So you have to get good grades. Otherwise, you won’t be ready for what comes later.

My father had many flaws. But not accepting any idea that was different from his was the worst.

He had a hard time trusting people. So he didn’t trust me when I told him I wanted to become a writer.

We fought a lot over this. But I am more stubborn than him — it’s one of my best qualities. So over time, he got more open-minded.

Fighting for my ideas helped me find a strong desire to prove him wrong. So fight for what you value because nobody can tell you what that is.

You can make two choices in your life:

• You can have a life full of passions and never achieve anything extraordinary.
• Or you can obsess over one purpose and get the best out of it.

In the first case, you won’t achieve anything. But if you pick perseverance, you could create a life of opportunities. You could make a change in any direction you decide to take. And the only thing you have to learn is perseverance.

Dad was tenacious, and his discipline paid off dividends. So learn to be perseverant. Pick your purpose and obsess over it. Become one with your passion, and it will pay off.

Dad lost his parents while he was away. So he couldn’t give his last goodbye to both of them. I know he suffered, but he never blamed anyone for it.

He talks about it a lot. Sometimes, I think this is his way of reconnecting with them. But even in the worst pain, he never lost his smile.

There’s nothing more important than cherishing joyful moments with the people you love the most. And there shouldn’t be time for grudges or resentment in your lives.

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