Every journey in life starts someplace… mine takes me back to the lush, green tropics. Warm sea breeze and a hammock to relax…
But this day was fast becoming nightfall. The wind had picked up some momentum but my spirits remain dampened…
This day I had come back with my father from the doctor. He was desperately ill. He had lost some 60 pounds or so. And to begin with, was not a heavy man. He couldn’t balance himself very well. He gait was shaky, making him sway from one side to the other. I was the only one with him…
I had chosen to stay with my father as the rest of my family moved to Canada for a better life. Not so much by head but more by heart. Even though I wanted to move on with my siblings to the land of milk and honey, a deeper reason kept me grounded in Guyana, the only English speaking country on the South American continent.
A beautiful place. Brilliant sunshine and cool breeze. But this was a nation that struggled economically, a people torn apart by racial strife and a nation that experienced much corruption during that time. Making ends meet was a constant struggle. There was never abundance. Even for my father, a Mathematics high school teacher….but this day, he was battling a disease that few could recover from at that time… cancer. He was 45 years old. The year 1985.
As the night closed in and my Dad lay in his bed…I sat outside of his bedroom door on guard. Not sure what the night held for him or for me…
That night, my dad passed on. And as his eyes closed and he stopped breathing, a silent cry came to my throat and I fled to the verandah of our home, gasping for air… the cool wind hit my face as I stood looking out into the pitch-blackness of the night. The tears dried before they fell and I felt as if broken into a million pieces…. I wasn’t too sure what the next day would hold for me.
I had just lost, my anchor, the very person who had told me COUNTLESS times, that I had the power to inspire the world… that my words and vision would move people to action and I would empower and inspire everyone around me…that in a world where leaders are a scarcity, I would lead with strength and honor… I was now grappling with a huge void in my life
I am grateful that my mom was steadfast enough to continue the journey to Canada without me even though it was a heartbreaking one. They faced many arduous times and many failures. But the way was paved for my siblings and I to find a place to call our new home, in Canada. A place, where freedom and choices abound and OPPORTUNITY is plentiful…
I am now here as another day dawns in Canada. I am filled with joy to be in this country. And feel blessed that we had found some stability. A place where the cultures of the world blend and we see a plethora of colors everyday. I feel at home in this country… FREE to be…
But faith had another twist for us. My brother, just 30 years old, planning his upcoming wedding and getting set to live his life was abruptly taken from us. The doctors said it was a massive heart failure in his sleep. At 30? I remember it as if in a bad dream. I recall going to his apartment and walking through as if in a trance. His belongings were in place, like someone who had gone to sleep with all intent of waking up in the morning. My heart grew heavy. Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. I worried for my own existence. Is my life going to be snuffed out like this? Prematurely? Where would that leave my sons?
And it made me realize how PRECIOUS this life we have been granted is. It jolted me to understand that our time here in this world is limited and it is how we spend and use our time that will matter most. I made a commitment to myself that moving forward, I would act with a sense of urgency and PURPOSE. I would use the events that played out in my life as a catalyst to ignite fire and passion, and to go on to achieve great things for myself, my family and for many others…
Shakespeare once said ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them…” I knew I would have to achieve greatness, for sure as heck I wasn’t born great. BUT greatness for me only, did not bring true fulfillment, as would greatness for the most valuable asset our world has to offer and that is, greatness for our PEOPLE…
They say events shape your life. My friends, they do. Those two events in my life have made me an incredibly strong yet very humble human being. A human being dedicated to uplifting the lives of others by seeking, finding and conveying the answers in our ever so CHANGING world…
I believe that all people have the hearts of CHAMPIONS. That people just like you and I, have the capability to do incredible things in life. To achieve extraordinary things. To rise above the most trying of times and the worst of life situations. That we can learn to fight another day and we can grow the WINGS to fly…
Whatever our shortcomings, we can OVERCOME. There is nothing we cannot do. There is nothing we cannot LEARN. There is nothing we cannot ACHIEVE. The ANSWERS are there, just reach out, hold on, and take control…
“Together We Are UNSTOPPABLE…”
Nadira Haniff
Business Consultant, Coach & Inspirational Speaker
———————————————————————————————————————————
The essence of anything that Nadira does is that you can be assured, she will deliver. In life in general, but in the business world in particular, being reliable is the single most important quality one could ask for. This is why I chose the word ‘reliable’ to describe her. There are of course countless other words to describe Nadira - loyal, smart, courageous, disciplined, incredibly focused and determined to see things to completion
From very humble beginnings, Nadira has over the years, with her competitive spirit been extremely successful at building businesses and earning significant amounts of money. These are tangible assets to acquire. The world recognizes and applauds business and life successes together with a winning attitude
But for several years, Nadira has honed her skills in a most important endeavor and one that is closest to her heart - making other people successful. Along this path she has enhanced the lives of countless people. Her philosophy is that, the greatest success is not that of a single individual only, but rather a glory to be shared by many
She believes strongly in a simple truth - “applied knowledge is power, and knowledge is not a privilege of a few, but the right of many”. In this endeavor, she constantly seeks out the answers in an ever changing world, to be able to deliver knowledge in a timely fashion
“We can do it, Together We Are Unstoppable” she emphasizes. Nadira embodies this spirit, and also submits that such a spirit can be ignited in everyone of us …
Listen to Nadira speak from the heart and you are mesmerized by the caliber of her passion and her belief in the greatness of people. A leader amongst leaders is Nadira Haniff’s ongoing contribution to the world…
“Our People Are Our World’s Greatest Asset”, she repeats…
Author: Peter Paweska. Programmer Consultant & Business Partner
———————————————————————————————————————————
From the depths of an economically troubled, third world country on the South American continent, Nadira faced fierce challenges of poverty and little opportunity
She braced the tragedies of life head on…From standing alone, at the edge of her father’s deathbed as he fought and failed his battle with cancer, to losing a young brother, a divorce that left her financially crippled, living on government assistance, while struggling through University; this single mother of 2 boys found the DRIVE, RESILIENCE & INNER STRENGTH within her to rise above her trying circumstances, landing high income corporate jobs and going on to building a 6 figure income business
Touching the lives of thousands of people along the way, she brings a message of Hope, Opportunity, Clarity, Direction, Loyalty & A Keen sense of purpose
She instills in others the will to carry on, the stamina to keep going and the jubilation of winning! A fierce competitor, she stands on the principle, ‘do not give up before the finish line…’
She brings the house down with her amazing journey, will to win attitude, and solid business building principles. She has an incredible story of struggle to triumph to tell and truly brings the essence of holding on to your dreams
Nadira continues to teach, coach, mentor & inspire thousands through her hands on business expertise, experience, and life skills; MOTIVATING more people to BELIEVE in themselves and what they do
She gives freely of herself, to ignite Passion in more, to rekindle the flame of Desire to excel in more… and continues to convey that It Is Not Where You Came From…but it is WHERE YOU ARE GOING that matters most in our world…
———————————————————————————————————————————
Tags: 
