I’m Irish, and where I come from emigration is a very big deal. For the past 150 years, Ireland’s greatest export has been its people. Many families in Ireland have lost a son or daughter to emigration—my own parents saw all five of their sons move to America. I moved to this great country as a nineteen-year-old with ninety-two dollars in my pocket, and now I’m a wealthy businessman. I’m the classic American rags-to- riches story. But I haven’t just acquired material wealth since I came here. I also possess a powerful internal fulfillment that no amount of money could buy. Why have I succeeded when people who are born and raised here haven’t? I believe I have the Emigrant Edge—a special mix of qualities and traits that have given me a head start over native-born Americans. My promise to you is that no matter where you’re from, you too can adopt these traits in your own life and attain success beyond your wildest dreams. And I can show you how. Now, I’m not saying that making it big in America is simple. It’s not simple— there are definite things you’ll need to add to your life if you want great success. But the seven strategies I share in this book are easy.
They’re easy to grasp and, in all truth, easy to implement. It just takes a committed mind-set and consistent follow-through. My life’s work has been dedicated to teaching and training people how to live the American Dream. Now, the American Dream means different things to different people, but let’s consider a classic definition for a moment. In his 1931 book, The Epic of America, historian James Truslow Adams defined the American Dream as “a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” In my experience, this explanation encapsulates what the American Dream is all about. For the past twenty years, I’ve presented my success strategies to three million people at seminars and events all over the world, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to listen to people’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about this topic. American audiences have always been the most enthusiastic and ambitious about their future.
However, in recent years, things have changed. I’ve begun to notice a shift. I’ve found myself working harder and harder to convince people that a better future lies ahead, that their children can have more opportunities than they did growing up, and that the sky is still the limit when it comes to achieving success in America. I’ve been spending a lot of my time reminding Americans who they are, what they’ve accomplished as a nation, and how great their future can be!
There are those, however, who haven’t forgotten. They continually see this country with fresh eyes. They recognize the opportunities, benefits, and values that our society as a whole offers—and they’re ready to work hard and take advantage of them. Who are these people? Immigrants. To me, and many other immigrants just like them, America is the land where dreams can come true if you apply yourself. This is the mind-set of a successful immigrant—and it’s a winning one. Immigrants can teach us a lot about success. People have come from all over the world to settle here and millions of them have thrived. Why do they do well so many people who are born and raised here fail? Like me, they have the Emigrant Edge! Successful immigrants think and work differently than the average American. They have a survivor mentality. Many of them have already risked everything they have to start a new life, so a few setbacks on the road to starting and growing a business aren’t going to stop them. They are pragmatic rather than idealistic about what it takes to succeed. They know all too well that the world doesn’t owe them a living and that each individual is responsible for his or her success. They manage to do a lot with very little, not only because they’re resourceful self-starters, but because they don’t have a safety net if they fall. Above all, they’re willing to pay the price required to succeed. This relentless work ethic, drive, and can-do attitude means they’re prepared to start from scratch, work the hours needed, and invest in themselves and their business. They don’t see this as a disadvantage.
When you leave your home country and move to a different one, you become a stranger in a strange land. Nothing is familiar, nothing feels comfortable, and the simplest of tasks can present difficulties. Whether you encounter barriers from the differences in culture, language, or customs, you face challenges that can make you feel like a vulnerable child. From ordering a sandwich to figuring out how to work the shower faucet handles, being a newcomer comes with an inherent series of disadvantages. As you read and learn about these challenges, you’ll realize that an immigrant’s disadvantage is your advantage. You’ll discover how, if this were a race, you’d already be many steps ahead. Most of us have heard the expression, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
This means that to more easily adapt to the customs and traditions of your new country, you should copy what the natives are doing. But what if you don’t understand these customs and traditions or what they mean? Where and how do you even begin to try to fit in? Coping with culture shock is one of the biggest challenges that immigrants face, and there are many complicated layers to the issue. Newcomers to this country may feel helpless, frustrated, afraid, and insecure about what to do and how to behave. As they continually try to fit in with their new society, they can feel as though they’re losing their own cultural identity, beliefs, and values.