$10,000 watch. $500 shirt.
I was in Dubai, shopping for fancy things…
And everything felt amazing…
Up until we walked past a bus full of Pakistani and Indian men…
All looking weirdly at me…
And it hit me.
It was about 7 pm, and they finished the work day after 10-12 hours on the construction site.
In Dubai, it is well known that they are not treated well.
They are almost treated as enslaved people…
Getting paid almost nothing for building these beautiful buildings and towers…
All day, every day…
And as I was walking past the bus they were in…
I realized that…
I could have been there, too.
…If my father had done something different.
You see, our family is from Pakistan. We were all born there.
My father grew up on a farm.
Old school Pakistan. 1970s.
And as he got older…
He wanted to start moving around to find the best place to raise his children.
Because he was confident that Pakistan wasn't.
So, my dad saved some money and applied for his first-ever Visa to come to the UK.
But it was challenging to get it at the time.
He got into arguments with employees…
He stood in line for days…
He fought for it…
And at the end, he somehow managed to get a 3-year Visa.
Remember, this is Pakistan. 25 years ago.
Most people never do something like that for their family.
And if my dad didn't think of it or haven't had the confidence to come to the UK…
We would still be in Pakistan…
And there is a chance that…
I wouldn't do well in school…
And that because of lack of education and awareness…
I wouldn't get into entrepreneurship…
And there is a chance that…
I would've heard of a "good" work opportunity in Dubai…
And right now, at this exact moment…
Be on that same bus.
I guarantee you that this would NOT be my life right now.
So, if you're reading this on your fucking iPhone...
You are probably not as grateful as you should be for your initial circumstances.
Chances are you have a comfortable life and everything you need.
And that you are still not living up to your potential.
Which means that you don't respect the effort your parents and ancestors put in.
Express gratitude for the starting point that you have, and get to fucking work.
Whatever the starting point is, it could have been worse. Be grateful for it.
Out of 7.9 billion people, someone was in the same situation as you.
And guess what? They achieved everything you want to achieve.
Express gratitude, and get to work.