If You Have This, You Will Never Lose
Some people just cannot be stopped
Photo by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Most people hit speed bumps and slow down. Some people even stop.
Some people keep going as long as they can. Then roadblocks appear, and they turn around and end the journey.
But a few people use speed bumps to launch up and forward. And they blast through roadblocks as if they were speed bumps.
What is different about these people? What do they know that others do not?
I just re-read one of my favorite books recently: Self-Made in America, by John McCormack. In the book, John McCormack recounts one of my favorite stories ever.
This story, to me, describes a quality that I aspire to have. This is a story — a true story — that is almost unbelievable. Or maybe it is completely unbelievable.
But it is inspiring.
And amazing.
And perfect to describe how to approach the speed bumps and roadblocks that constantly pop up.
Once you hear this man’s story, you will realize that you can do anything.
. . .
A Perfect Family, Then Nothing
“If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.”
— Samuel Johnson
Years ago, in Vietnam, the Van Vu family was one of the wealthiest families in all of Southeast Asia. They owned almost one-third of North Vietnam, including industrial property and real estate.
Tragically, Le Van Vu’s father was brutally murdered when Le was a young boy.
After his father’s murder, Le moved to South Vietnam and lived with his mother. Le went to school and eventually graduated from law school in South Vietnam and became a lawyer.
Le entered the construction and development industries and soon became one of the most successful builders in South Vietnam.
. . .
Escape from Prison
“The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
On one trip to North Vietnam, Le was captured and thrown into prison for three years.
Fortunately, Le escaped from prison.
But, he had to kill five North Vietnamese soldiers to escape and make it back to South Vietnam. Can you imagine having to take someone’s life in order to reclaim your own freedom?
When Le arrived back in South Vietnam, the struggle was not over. Le was arrested. Why would he be arrested when he just escaped from prison in a different country?
Well, the South Vietnamese government assumed that he was spying on the South since he left prison early in North Vietnam.
So Le ended up back in prison, in South Vietnam, after he had just escaped from prison in North Vietnam!
. . .
A Fishing Empire, and Then Nothing
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
— Maya Angelou
After a few years, Le eventually was released from prison. Soon after his release, he started a fishing company.
This company eventually became the largest canner in South Vietnam. But Vietnam was not his long-term destination. He had just served two stints in prison!
For a man born into wealth, prestige, and comfort, Le would never feel safe in this area of the world.
When Le learned that United States troops were leaving South Vietnam, he made the decision to leave as well.
Le piled all of his money ‒ in his case, actual gold ‒ into one of his fishing boats and sailed with his wife to the U.S. ships in the harbor.
He then used all of his gold to bribe his way out of Vietnam.
Can you imagine having to give up every single possession that you have in order to move on to the next step in your life?
. . .
Hello, Mr. President?
“When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn’t hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that’s just the place and time that the tide’ll turn.”
— Harriet Beecher Stowe
In exchange for all of his money, Le and his wife received passage to the Philippines, away from North and South Vietnam. He had to bribe the U.S. troops to take him away from Vietnam.
Le, again, now had nothing.
No home.
No possessions.
No money.
Nothing.
Having nowhere to go, Le and his wife were taken to a refugee camp.
Somehow — and amazingly — while Le was in the refugee camp, Le met the President of the Philippines.
Le had no possessions, but he had knowledge, skills, and something else as well: an incredible will to succeed.
Le convinced the President to make one — just one — of his boats available for fishing. With one boat, Le started another fishing business.
At this point, Le’s survival and reinvention are amazing and should be commended, honored, and celebrated.
But Le’s not done yet.
In two short years, Le had developed an entire fishing industry in the Philippines.
In two years.
Starting with one boat.
. . .
Coming to America?
“Even if our darkest hour, we must remember to never despair.”
— Harry Vardon
Le’s ultimate reason for leaving Vietnam was to get to America. He was not content to be successful in the Philippines. So Le and his wife boarded a boat for the United States, with no intention of returning.
But on the long journey from the Philippines to the United States, Le had a moment of crisis.
He was depressed about having to start over yet again, with absolutely nothing. The stress of having to fight over and over again had finally hit him and brought him to his lowest point.
Le decided he had been through enough. He could not build a new life — again.
The broken man approached the rail of the ship, about to jump off and end his life.
He was born into a wealthy family.
His father was murdered.
He became a lawyer
He built an incredible real estate empire.
He escaped prison, performing horrible deeds for his freedom.
He was arrested for “spying” right after he fought so hard for his freedom.
He started another fishing company and was extremely successful.
He gave up all of his wealth and possessions in exchange for just the chance to get to America.
And now here he was ‒ ready to give up. He could not possibly reinvent himself again. He could not start over. He could not build himself back up after being not only broke, but completely destitute, with nothing to his name — again.
Le was about to end his life, when his wife found him looking over the rail.
She only said, “Le, if you do jump, what ever will become of me? We’ve been together for so long and through so much. We can do this together.”
We can do this together.
Her words re-energized him. His wife’s encouragement gave him a reason to fight one more time.
If you thought that the story was amazing so far, just wait until you hear what Le did next.
. . .
Ground Zero, Again
“Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.”
‒John Quincy Adams
Le arrived in Houston, Texas, in 1972. He had no money and did not speak English.
However, Le had a cousin who allowed Le and his wife to live in the back room of the cousin’s bakery in a mall.
Yes, Le and his wife would live in a storage room in the back of a bakery. At a shopping mall.
Fortunately, Le’s cousin offered both Le and Le’s wife jobs in the bakery. Le took home $175 per week and Le’s wife took home $125 per week. They had a total annual income of $15,600.
Even more, Le’s cousin offered to sell Le the bakery, as long as Le could make a $30,000 down payment. The rest of the purchase could be financed for $90,000.
Success, right? Victory, right?
Le and his wife made it. Right?
And you would think that Le would now enjoy his time in America by getting an apartment? Maybe take some time to enjoy his new-found freedom with his wife?
Maybe enjoy not being in jail, for once?
Of course, that is not at all what happened.
Some people just cannot be stopped.
There is a will that cannot be denied. There is something different, and special, and incredible that just will not give up, ever, no matter what.
It was not over. Le wanted something better. He had built fishing and real estate empires. He had escaped from prison. He was not done yet in the United States. He was not ready to celebrate just yet.
. . .
One More Time
“I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.”
— Og Mandino
Le and his wife decided to continue to live in the back room of the bakery until they could buy the bakery outright.
Together, they had a weekly disposable income of $300.
For two straight years, they lived entirely off of baked goods from the bakery.
They took sponge baths every day in the mall restrooms.
For two straight years, they lived on a total of $600 per year.
And in two years, Le and his wife saved up $30,000 for the down payment to purchase the bakery from his cousin.
If they would have rented an apartment, then they would have needed furniture, and a car, and gas, and insurance.
Instead, they spend almost no money in two years, and then bought the business outright!
And after they saved the $30,000 and bought the bakery, they made another “crazy” decision.
They decided to live in the bakery for one more year ‒ to save $90,000 and buy the bakery outright.
In one year, Le Van Vu and his wife saved every single penny they made from the bakery. They saved $90,000 and paid off the promissory note to Le’s cousin.
In three years, starting with no money and speaking no English, Le had obtained an extremely profitable business, with no debt.
In a short time, Le Van Vu was a multi-millionaire… again.
Was it luck?
Was it good fortune?
Was Le Van Vu a miracle worker.
Not at all.
Le Van Vu had a will to succeed that could not be stopped.
Not by prison bars.
Not by the loss of a father
Not by losing everything again. And again.
Not by having no money and not speaking any English.
Not by having to live in the back room of a bakery in a shopping mall.
Le Van Vu’s willingness to save and sacrifice ensured his success.
Never be afraid to start over.
Never be afraid of being broke.
If you do not adopt the mindset of Le Van Vu, just be assured that there is someone else out there who will.
The author of the book that includes Le’s story, John McCormack, was building a salon next to the bakery in the same mall. During this time, John met Le. And Le became a friend and mentor to John.
John McCormack calls this type of will to succeed conation. And John defines conation as the “fire in the belly” that leads to drive, enthusiasm, and single-minded pursuit of a dream or desire.
Not all people have it, but anyone can adopt the mindset.
In truth, some people just cannot be stopped.
Never bet against them.
. . .
Learn the one lesson that has changed my life more than any other.