Many people have issues and struggles. Struggles with life, struggles to live, struggles to make a living, struggles with health, struggles to be healthy. You get my point. 

There are a lot of struggles. Everyone deals with struggles, issues and challenges differently.

When I remember my personal struggles, I think about my first years in the Philippines and my mentor Eunice. She was my mentor, if she would like it or not, somebody had to guide me. She was very strict and looked very tough. She is Chinese, like I am, I am partly chinese. She is not like the average filipino, far from that. When the phone would ring, often it was Eunice, giving me some culture pointers. Actually it was more like a conversation, what I should do differently? Nicely said. I was a little afraid of her, but not shy enough to explain my point of view or difference in point of view. 

Years after my first year, we were still in touch, until this day, most of the time in our professional life, we would help each other. I had respect, going to BYSMP Bless the Children in Tondo, in Manila. In their place, I would be seeing hunderds of families being sponsored and helped. With the goal to gain selfesteem, to make their own decisions.

Often there were poor people with problems. Also in my life, in my work with Smokey Tours. It could be very exhausting, and very rewarding at the same time. In those tiring moments, we would look at each other, and she would always smile. Smile and say, yes this is my life. She would help people to overcome and improve in her way. 

This is my nephew, Naim, he lives in the Netherlands, far from Eunice, on the other side of the planet. He is the person, who made from his disease something positive. It is hard for him, he struggles, daily, weekly or monthly and when he is really down, we would say. But you are the example of overcome and improve. Is that a good example of your life quote? And when you are overcoming and improving, at the same time, you are helping people to overcome and improve in their way. It is hard, and memorable and something to be proud of. Check it out Overcome & Improve.