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www.i-am-magazine.com9My Success Story overChallenges to Serve the WorldBy Elisa CardAt the age of 6, I decided to be happy alwayswhen I saw my preferred cousin, a girl, crying forsad news from her family. And particularly, notletting the outside events sadden me.After 50 years, 5 sons, and a mountain ofchallenges, I live my life with my philosophy, away of living that is often ignored by people. In2016, I coined it %u201cbe #happy2succeed%u201d.Kindness is my second language and my defaultmode of communication. It is as if I wasnaturally wired to see the silver lining in everycloud and the beauty in every soul.And my dream as a little girl was to travel theworld. The easiest way to do that in the '70s and'80s was to become a stewardess%u2026Just before getting certified by Air Francestewardess exams, I met the man who willbecome the father of my 5 sons.And with him, my dream came true: I traveledthe world%u2026My sons were born in 3 different countries and 4different cities, mainly in North America. I callmyself the Happy Mom of my Big-FrenchCanadian-American family.Life was pretty exciting and filled with amazingmoments, but I soon discovered the father of mysons was a narcissist.Right at the turn of my 30s, I escaped the toxicdomestic relationship I was in for ten years; Iwas broke, pregnant with my fifth son, and feltlost. I became a young single mother to my fivetoddler sons.But rapidly, within days, I sensed a great feelingof freedom in being, doing, speaking, everythingfelt like freedom...In reality, I became the %u2018leader%u2019 of my little tribeof 5 boys.From my mother's tiny shoebox apartment inParis - %u201cyou know how small apartments can bein Paris%u201d - where I lived with my five sons forthree years, I decided to become anentrepreneur. And create our dream life andmake a living.After many challenges and many struggles, Iwent back to North America, where my sonswere born. I successfully created a 6-figurebusiness, and we started our dream life acrossoceans on another continent again.For close to ten years, we lived in Dallas, Texas,where I imported French High-Endreproductions of antique furniture and designaccessories. As the sole breadwinner and as arole model to my sons, I overcame intensechallenges as a single mother and became myauthentic self.