#52 Homeless and Illiterate to 7x Author and Coach w/ Dedy Tien

Can you imagine growing up without knowing how to read or write?

Never watching TV? Or even experiencing electricity?Honestly I can’t. My childhood consisted of Saturday morning cartoons, Tae Kwon Do lessons, and big brain wracking decisions about which of the 31 flavors of ice cream I would get on my family date to Baskin Robbins.

All the “normal” stuff that I was used to as a kid were luxuries for billions of people around the world. Back then I just didn’t get it. I’d roll my eyes at my dad when he shared stories of his own childhood in the effort to teach me to be grateful for what I have.

He would tell me about when he used an oil lamp to study for school, hunching over in the dark while struggling to see his homework. I heard about the time when he only had two outfits - he’d handwash one and hang it dry while wearing the other one to school, and the next day he’d switch them.

These stories that were once pointless and boring to my juvenile mind now fill me up with pride just thinking about them.

It’s crazy to think that my dad grew up in poverty in the jungle of the Philippines with working parents and nine brothers and sisters. And despite these humble beginnings, he and my mom worked together and somehow managed to build a different life for our family, one that was a lot easier without all that hardship.

In my interview with Dedy Tien, 7x author, business coach and bodybuilder, he shares his powerful life story: from being homeless, illiterate and growing up in poverty in East Timor to achieving levels of success beyond his wildest dreams.

His journey was filled with adversity, despair and with a whole lot of hope. He was able to drastically change the trajectory of his life by asking one simple, yet powerful question.

Listen to episode #52 Now.

I hope Dedy’s story becomes a source of inspiration and empowerment for you as it is for me.