The Life I’m Building, Tile by Tile
#57 From Vietnam to Family Plans—Reflections on Purpose, Parenthood, and Quiet Ambition
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The Spark of Inspiration
Last week, I had a chat with two entrepreneurs who recently started selling their product on the e-commerce platform Shopee. It was inspiring to see their energy, their dreams and aspirations—working on their “baby” after their 9–5 jobs.
Even though I didn’t start a business as a side hustle—but rather went all in, sometimes working over 100 hours a week—it reminded me of that special time when, together with two friends, we started scaling our German language meet-up into a proper business.
A Moment of Reflection
On my way home, I thought to myself:
“It has been 8 years since I moved to Vietnam and started living my purpose. Who would have thought I’d get this far?”
It’s true.
When we look back, so much has changed.
We move to new cities or countries.
We start working and earning money.
We lose and build new relationships.
We grow—a lot.
We become unrecognizable.
Sometimes people say:
“You did well. Your younger self would be proud of you.”
And I can honestly say: I’m truly content with my life. If I had to rate it, I’d give it a 9.5/10 (minus 0.5 because of my eczema 😅).
A New Chapter Begins
As I dwell on memories of the past, I realize I’m starting a new chapter. A chapter with my favorite human on this planet—a future with my beautiful and kind wife.
Everything I do now is for our future.
We’re starting to save up, plan where to raise our future kids, and decide how we want our life to look.
Tile by tile, we’re building our domino.
Tile by tile, we prepare for different future scenarios.
Tile by tile, we shift focus from risky ventures to sustainability.
Questioning the Master Plan
If I asked myself: “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
My answer has always been pretty simple—living a quiet life in Germany, doing what I do now. Maybe even a bit less exciting, but with kids and family.
And honestly, I’ve never had a problem with that. In fact, I took pride in this “master plan.”
But then, two encounters radically reshaped my mindset.
Encounter 1: A Chat with My Cousin
From time to time, I have update calls with my cousin where we talk business, finance—and this time—about raising kids.
Proudly, I shared my plan:
I wanted a slower life once I had my first child, so I could be fully present and shower them with love. That meant having a simple part-time job and focusing most of my time on being a parent.
That’s when she challenged me:
“I get it. But don’t forget your current position. You’ve built a sustainable business and have a rare opportunity to show your kids what entrepreneurship looks like. You might be surprised how proud they’ll be to say their dad runs his own business.”
It struck me.
I’d based my parenting plan on my own childhood. But after our talk, I realized that life doesn’t have to pause when you have kids. Instead, I can keep growing—and let them be part of the journey.
Encounter 2: A Chapter in a Book
With the subtitle Own Your Future, one chapter introduced a challenge that really hit home:
“We often see our progress by looking back—but rarely can we envision how we’ll grow in the future.”
Combined with my cousin’s insight, this hit me like a rock.
Maybe it’s because running a business and working on my projects has become routine. I don’t even notice the growth anymore.
Eight years ago, I was bold—I’d tell everyone about my big dreams and how I wanted to make a positive impact.
Now, I’m focused more inward (which I love and wouldn’t trade for anything)—but I stopped dreaming big and asking myself: “What if it works?”
Choosing Growth Again
By daring to dream again, I re-open myself to opportunity, growth, and living with purpose.
Instead of living passively, I will actively look for challenges that help me grow and improve—so that I become a better version of myself.
And maybe, just maybe, in 10 years I’ll look back and say:
“You did well. Your younger self would be proud of you.”
#mydailylearning
Sometimes we outgrow our dreams, not because we’ve failed—but because we’ve stopped dreaming. A conversation with someone close or a line in a book can reignite the spark. Growth doesn’t have to pause for parenthood or stability. I learned to blend vision with family, sustainability with ambition—and most importantly, to keep asking:
“What if it works?”
Thanks supporting Son of a Viet Kieu. If you want to check out other blogs, here are my favorites!
I Did It. I Wrote My First Book. (➡️ E-Book here)
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Keep staying awesome! #yeudoi