In 2007, my eleven-year-old son and I arrived in the USA. I was full of hopes, to implement my childhood dreams and find myself in this country, I expected that I would be able to change my fate and to realize all my “great plans”.

As you can suppose, from the very first day of my stay here, my life became full of reality, which does not always end in everything corresponding to the pictures that are whirling inside the head of a young, dreaming and determined woman.

Was it scary? Guys, it was very scary! Sometimes, my fear confined my legs and hands with icy chains! From time to time, it seemed that this was the limit, this was the end. Yet, since my school years, I have always remembered a phrase of Dostoyevsky: “A coward is a person, who is afraid of something and runs away, but a person, who is afraid of something and does not run away, is not a coward …”, the fears of not being able to withstand, to run away, and to surrender was stronger than any other fears. Aside from those fears, I had a constant irrepressible desire to overcome myself, to prove that I can do something, that I will be able to win, that I am better and stronger than I thought.

There were new people and new meetings. There was a desire to hold out, to withstand, to bear everything, and to win!

Soon after arrival, I began to work. It was a golden ticket for an immigrant. I am grateful to those people who have helped me. However, if to find a job with the help of great people is the ticket way, to work in a new unfamiliar environment with some serious language problems, among the people of different culture and mentality was the most difficult, everyday psychological load and stress. It goes without saying that a simple telephone conversation becomes a stressful test in determination and tenacity. Nevertheless, I followed the road of mastering everything new with determination and persistence. I understood that I would have to work extremely hard. That is the key to success in all peoples of all nations.

Days, weeks, and months elapsed. All my time was absolutely devoted to my work. However, there was also a definite plus in this for sure, because simply there was no time for whimpering and complaints. The whole body, nervous system and psyche underwent certain training and the better and quicker I could fulfill my tasks, the more and more my load was growing every day. It was rather a complicated test – almost a 9-year long test. The volume of work was growing, but at the same time my knowledge, skills and experience were expanding. I knew my business in detail, easily conducting business, I was all geared up to work with people and inspired other people to work. This University of Life took much time and strength; I had to sacrifice my plans and leisure time. Nevertheless, I am now confident that I know my business in depth, in detail, and can fulfill any task quickly and professionally. Certainly, as always, with a smile!

Since my childhood, I have dreamed of becoming a registered nurse. I like the old Russian name of this profession – “sister of charity”. I was confident that when I become an adult, I will learn to help people without pain. Probably, it was so, because I was terribly afraid of the injections and other medical procedures.

As a result, it happened so that during the last ten years, all my work has related to helping those in immediate need. After all, our clients need all the documents that we help prepare, draw up, and get done urgently. At the same time, the application of such documents makes the life of our clients easier, simplifies solving everyday problems, resolves some interpersonal conflicts, and helps decide in some complicated processes. I love it!

As years elapsed, I have learned to understand people, their problems and their concerns better. Therefore, in response, I received their kind smiles and warm gratitude.

Once in my childhood, I saw a working woman, who was weaving a huge rug. She was stringing colored thread after thread by hand in her weaver’s loom and it seemed to me that there was no progress in her work. However, there was a beautiful Eastern rug hanging behind her back, it had unimaginable design with thousands of tiny details and ringlets. At that time, I guessed that such work was impossible and inconceivable. Again, after several years, I understood that our life is a weaving rug, which we should weave ourselves. It should be woven with the days of actions, of ideas, and intentions. What will this rug be finally? I know and I am sure it depends on us only. It is necessary to remember that we should not miss a single thread.

Years were flying by, and I felt that I had to go further, to change something in my life and career. Whatever comfortable nest where I began working seemed like I had to take a step from it, even with the fear of failing, one must learn how to fly.

Again, there appeared thousands of doubts, worries and nerves that were stretched to breaking point. Dear friends! It is scary to change one’s life suddenly. It was necessary for survival and I realized this.

Fortunately, with the help of the people who supported me and helped implement my decision, every step became easier. The gratitude to my relatives and friends, who stood by me is boundless! My success and victory lies within the people, who were shoulder to shoulder with me, whom empathized with my journey.

Yes! I decided that it was time to start soaring. At last, the day came and the door of my very first office was open. Long days of looking for the appropriate office and financing, remodeling, buying furniture and equipment are behind me. Those were crazy days, when there weren’t enough hours in the day to drop by the store, to agree about a meeting, to choose a color, to decide what to do, and to imagine how it would look like; what the first day of my independent business would be, what about the second day, and how the week would pass. Will anything come out of this endeavor?

The most important words that I heard at that time were: “Do not think about any failure! Go forward and everything will be great! Stand up and do your business!”

I stood up and did, because I knew that it was impossible to do anything different. If there is a very high staircase in front of you and you decide to climb it, you should not waste time calculating its height or the number of steps that you must overcome. In such a way, you can frighten yourself extremely and will not take the first step. It is necessary to do it step by step and to climb higher and higher. Certainly, it is necessary to think about each step and the next step to be up to the mark.

It was February 2017, there is no winter in California, thus the sun was bright, and the guests’ faces were glowing. My office was finally opened. A new company “Express Document Solutions” began its work to assist people in preparing and receiving documents such as powers-of-attorney, visas, passports, etc. A complete spectrum of services is also offered, including services of the Notary Public, translation into different languages, preparation of the documents and application for citizenship, family reunification and many others. We are also an accredited company in taking fingerprints.

Behind these formal words, there are millions of our clients’ words, thousands of mutual smiles, hundreds of thanks along with kind wishes. This is a great business! It gives a chance to see happiness and satisfaction on the faces of the people who come to us with their problems and concerns. It is a very special pleasure to do your work and to be convinced of its necessity and usefulness for people every time.

Understanding your clients’ needs comes alongside experience. First, I tried to make my office comfortable and cozy, which is pleasant to enter. We created a play area for our little visitors, where they can spend time, while their parents are busy with their document issues. Our clients can drop to us before their work and discuss some details over a cup of aromatic coffee. Many of our clients have the same working schedule as we have and we find some time for them after our working hours with pleasure. If somebody cannot come to our office for certain reasons, we go to their office, hospital or home also with pleasure. We do not leave our clients without any attention and consultation upon completing their cases. 

In addition to our work, we study! We learn something continuously and persistently from every meeting and every person – this is our university. We learn to become better, to work faster, and to increase the quality of our work.

Am I proud of my business? Unconditionally yes! This is what I do, my business, my company that I created myself not only in the meaning of belonging to me, but as my life goal – to make the life of people who address us easier, to solve their issues, and to get rid of their problems. In addition, I am proud of the fact that we are becoming friends with many of our clients. It is of great value!

All the difficulties, the tears and the sleepless nights are being forgotten, when you seriously realize that there is a special purpose in your work for the good of the people.

Do not forget, put one more colorful thread into your rug – the rug of our life! Remember that it is today that may become the best day, when you should start translating your dream “to do something grandiose on one fine day” into reality.

New events in my story, the story of Nargiza Babadjanova, fate in the US, has only begun.