As we head towards celebrating Independence Day, I can only imagine the pride and joy that was felt when the Declaration of Independence was signed so that the United States could be free of Great Britain.
I am bursting with pride and joy today because I live in a country where we have the freedom of choice and an opportunity to live the American Dream.
I recently watched the movie “Rise,” which is based on the real-life story about a family who produced the first trio of brothers to become NBA champions in the history of the league. It’s an inspiring movie because it speaks to family, faith, hard work, dedication, commitment and belief in a dream. These are the characteristics that I practice, in what is considered, a normal life as a citizen of the United States of America.
I am a product of the American Dream.
I was not born in this country and English is not my first language. But the “Land of the Free” created a path to have a better life for me and my children. That was, and is, my American Dream!
As I reflect upon my life in the United States, I’ve celebrated many important milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, to name just a few. I’m very proud to share that June 22, 2022 marked my 30th year with Southland Data Processing and, having recently turned 50 years old, this anniversary also represents that I’ve spent sixty percent of my life with the Company. I am grateful, honored and humbled by the opportunities Southland Data Processing, and our wonderful country, has presented to me.
Southland is the vehicle God has used to present many incredible people who have made a significant and eternal impact on my life. I met our company founders, Peter and Elizabeth Carroll in 1992, numerous friends, business partners and wonderful associations, such as the Independent Payroll Provider Association, The Payroll Group Association, the YPG, and the SDP Board. Most importantly, I would like to honor all the team members past and present at SDP. I have had an amazing career because of you.
My prayer and hope is that I have been able to share my gratitude with those who have made an impact in my life. I very much appreciate their investment in me.
To those I have an honor of leading, thank you for continuing to trust me. There’s still more “work” to be done and “play” to be had so we can pay it forward. God is not finished with me and the SDP story yet, but I wanted to take the time to share with you that I believe there’s so much good that happens despite the chaos of the world. It has not always been easy. There have been plenty of mistakes and lessons learned. The path hasn’t always been clear but if we are intentional in our pursuit of our dreams, extend a hand to help others and serve others before ourselves, “Magic Moments” happen that make your heart overflow with joy.
Until the next milestone, let’s focus on the abundance of our Magic Moments whatever those may be for you.