Lifting Yourself Up and Starting All Over Again with Hourig Messerlian

Yuliana Kim-Grant's Phoenix Tales

On the show today, Hourig Messerlian, Senior Director of IT Business at Computing and Information Services - The City University of New York, joins Yuliana to tell her remarkable and truly inspiring story of how she got to where she is today. Starting with how she fled a country ravaged by Civil War, crossing continents and countries, facing many life altering changes along the way, Hourig now finds herself living an incredibly successful life far from the rubble of a country destroyed by war. She goes far beyond simply surviving, and proves herself to be one who thrives wherever life takes her, defying all odds with her unstoppable spirit and steadfast resolve to never give up.

In this fascinating conversation, Hourig delves into the challenging event that shaped her life - a story of fleeing Lebanon during the civil war at 19 to start a new life, how she was brought up in Lebanon and how she met her father for the first time in London where she started this new life. She shares details about moving to New York, going back to college for a degree, despite being in her mid-40s, and shares with us a special memory that she always looks forward to amidst the storm. The episode draws to a close with Hourig’s advice to those who seek to make big changes, and the one song that she feels resonates with her life - a song about hope. As Hourig movingly states, life has made her “someone who decided a long time ago not to take things sitting down and crying her eyes out” – listen in today to hear about this amazing life and the lessons it teaches us all.

Episode Highlights:

• The challenging event that redirected the course of Hourig’s Life
• How Hourig, an Armenian, was brought up in Lebanon
• The life of an outsider who isn’t afraid to start all over again
• Alone during the Lebanese Civil War
• Leaving Lebanon in perilous times
• Hourig meeting her father for the first time
• Settling into a new life in London
• Her move to New York
• Why getting a college degree was important
• How Hourig propels forward amidst challenges
• The most difficult chapter in Hourig’s life
• A memory that holds a special place in Hourig’s heart
• An inner sense of loneliness
• Hourig’s advice to those who have to make big changes
• The one song that describes Hourig’s life

Quotes:

“It gives one a different outlook in life that nothing is permanent, that tomorrow, who knows, I may have to start all over again. ”

“I'm Armenian, if you crush me, I will lift myself up and start all over again.”

“There was definitely a second side to my life and my story.”

“I'm a very stubborn person, and I don't take to failure too well, or bad luck, or whatever you want to call it. I decided to stay.”

“I strongly believe that there's always going to be a window open if a door closes.”

“I consider myself lucky that not only do I push myself back up and try again, but I always find a way out of whatever disaster I'm faced with.”

“When something's behind me, I leave it behind me. I have almost always succeeded in not having any more concerns, not looking back.”

“Go for it, do it, start your life over and over again if you want, if it makes you happy, if it gives you what you're looking for all these years.”

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