• by Arturo Nava , Columnist, December 31, 2015

When I started my journey in this country 18 years ago, I couldn’t find a roadmap of how other Latinos were succeeding in the United States. Like other immigrants, I worked hard to find my own way, which meant banging my head against a wall a few times before I was able to accomplish some of the goals I had set for myself. 

Then, starting in 2014, I set off to find out how successful Latinos and Latinas are achieving their success so others don’t have to make all the mistakes that can set them back in their journey.

I interviewed 50 of the most successful Latinos and Latinas in the nation and then I wrote and published a book to share the principles I discovered. 

I am sharing the following excerpt from my book as it might inspire you to make 2016 the best year of your life. It is comprised of a brief summary of a couple of the success principles I uncovered and a part of the call to action with which I close the book:

Embrace the abundance mindset

When I asked my guests on my podcast about the biggest barriers we face in our community, the scarcity mindset came up again and again.

We need to adopt a mindset of abundance. We need to realize that by helping each other, we will all be more successful. This is the way we get ahead; we gain nothing by taking down fellow Latinos and Latinas. We lift ourselves by lifting each other up. All of the successful people I interviewed share this abundance mindset, as do the most successful people in the world.

Invest in yourself to become a learning machine

The best investment you can ever make is in yourself. The ability to learn, to adapt, and to master your domain is the most important skill you need to craft a life of success.

It is critical that you embrace the love of learning and become a lifelong reader if you want to be successful. I don't know successful people who don't read. Reading nurtures your mind and your soul. Your mind and soul need high quality food, just like your body. Learn how to think, not what to think.

Call to action, all Latinos and Latinas

The key is to take action; take the first step and believe that it is possible for you to achieve your dreams. Make a commitment to yourself that you will work very hard to turn your dreams into reality.

If Robert Renteria was able to rise from the barrio to the boardroom and to bestselling author, overcoming gangs, drugs and the absence of a father, so can you.

If Gaby Natale can go from unemployed graduate in Argentina to president of her own successful media company in the U.S. in just a few years, so can you.

You will have to work very hard but know that the rewards will far outweigh all the sacrifice. 

I envision a future in which we are empowered by the strength of our culture and much more widely recognized by the mainstream for our talents, achievements, and tremendous contributions to our society.

After all, there are already 54 million of us living in the United States; we represent 60% of the U.S. population growth. Latino culture is having a tremendous influence on mainstream America, which is adopting Latin-inspired food, music, products, and culture at a rapid rate.

Across industries, companies are investing billions to persuade us to buy their products and services. Yet despite all this, we are often portrayed in a stereotypical manner, ignored by the mainstream media or sometimes even insulted and belittled by ignorant and intolerant elements of our society.

Our time has come to raise our voices to show the world the beauty of our culture, the talent of our people, and the depth of our soul.

Our time has come to empower ourselves to take deliberate and massive action that will bring us closer to creating the life we want.

Our time has come to fulfill our great promise.

Our future is bright and our dreams are within reach if we decide to pursue them.

I invite you to make 2016 the best year of your life and join me in this movement to empower others in our community to reach their full potential.

Keep the fire in your belly burning.