I Have a Dream
We judge people by the ambition of their dreams, the purpose of their efforts, the extent of their wisdom, and their contribution to humanity. No amount of money can replace how much wisdom you learn by reading books and accumulating knowledge. I learned this later in life after making numerous mistakes that have led me to where I am. At 29, and as a successful businessman who has contributed major strokes of success regarding taxes, employment, and income to my home country, you would think that life is easy and rosy. Unfortunately, I feel like the society requires more from me. With this at the back of mind, I was determined to be the best version of myself, and this led me back to Houston Community College to finish up on my studies.
In Iran, building a successful construction company is quite challenging. You work from dawn to dusk just to ensure things are running smoothly and if you are lucky, the gods bestow abilities that help you succeed if you work hard enough. My job with my team deepened my resolve to want to pursue further education. The nightmare that one day I would stand in a crowd of people who did not see me for the successful business that I had already started gnawed at me and I was convinced that finishing my college credits would make me at peace. In Iran, people adore education. The business community with whom I worked with saw that I was intelligent and shared with me the secrets of the industry. However, a part of me wanted to be better, to have a firm and valid point. It is during these moments that I unequivocally committed to going back to America to pursue the remaining part of college as well as advance in education by taking a degree in construction.
As my resolve continued to grow, I wrestled with the decision of leaving my business and traveling miles away to pursue my dream, discussing it with my girlfriend, Parisa, and my family. They encouraged me to take the leap, and it is at this point that I thought about expanding the horizons that my business had already scaled. The future of construction is in 3D building, and with the advancement of technology, I saw it fit to have a branch in America and employ new individuals who would bring in fresher ideas into what I had already grown.
The move back to America would be nostalgic. I was born in Houston, Texas, and due to my parent’s way of living as business people, we would transverse between America and Iran while in middle school and high school. Actually, the only reason for working in Iran was because of what I learned during those formative years. Iran was coming up, and business was booming. The lack of young professionals to spur the markets to better quality development saw me settle in and open the business which is one of the leading construction firms here. With the help of Parisa, I was able to keep abreast with new developments in the US, and this spurred my need to pursue better education. The move was also a kind of my way to reconnect with Parisa who goes to Houston University and wishes to pursue a career in dentistry.
Powerful, glamourous and ubiquitous, Parisa is in many ways the reason why I have been able to succeed in my business. She sees my weaknesses and strengths and advise me accordingly. Through her support and that of my family, Parisa will see to it that the expansion of the construction business takes shape and also succeeds in America as it did in Iran. In return, I hope I can make her happy by traveling, taking her to her dream destinations and making memories together. The goal is for both of us to work hard, finish our education, grow the business, and finally move to the business hub, Dubai. Dubai is one of the fastest growing business capitals and so much so, the fastest growing construction city.
Moreover, given the increasing diversity globally, we can easily live and work in Dubai while providing our children with the best possible education in America. In discussion with Parisa, education is a significant and deliberate move to ensure that our children succeed in life. As the English saying goes, education is the key to success.
