When Mom immigrated to Canada

When Mom immigrated to Canada, she couldn't afford the tuition for the legal secretary course she wanted. So she made a plan.

She offered to do admin work for the college in exchange for her school fees. They agreed. She worked. Studied. And built a career.

Mom was a high achiever. The "OG" (hope I'm using that correctly...)

Mom didn't have the luxury to ask the question of what she really 'wanted' to do. She needed a job. She needed stability. And the goal was clear because it had to be.

Thanks to Mom's achievements, I grew up with stability. With options.

Like so many other second generation immigrants, I had the gift of space to ask: "What do I WANT to do?" (not just What do I NEED to do)

And this space comes with its own kind of pressure. Because with my privilege I also felt responsibility. I had to/have to thrive. Find my purpose. Make the right choice.

There's no playbook for this.

My needs aren't at the bottom of Maslow's heirarchy - they're higher up.

Belonging. Meaning. Fulfilment. They're harder to define, harder to measure. And harder still to choose between.

BEcause there's no urgency forcing my hand. Just the quiet responsibility to make my choices count.

I am incredibly grateful to Mom for giving me this privilege. And I hope she's proud of the decisions I've made.

To all the other second generation migrants: does this resonate? What was your family's path to stability? And how are you thinking about your own choices now?

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Helping my clients build lives that feel aligned on the inside, not jut impressive on the outside, is the type of coaching I LOVE doing.

If you're working through questions like these and want support, I offer free discovery calls. Just send me a message!