(Must first wish my wife a Happy B-Day!!!)
My last post talked about the journey that led me to working for myself as a designer, however there is more I want to share that goes beyond just events and moments. It seems that each of us has so much more than we will ever know we are truly capable until in a moment it is as if the curtain is lifted and a much deeper understanding that worth is revealed. I don't want to come across as if I know all the answers to life or that I know it all, however if by sharing my newly discovered inner self and peace then maybe you can start your journey to unlock a door shut by pain and sorrow to a better tomorrow.
I am about to share some personal things that maybe are unknown to most, but it is important to share this to those willing to read. I have suffered from anxiety for many years, after the death of my mother I took on depression and major weight gain and much heartache of a alcoholic father trying to cope with the loss of his wife. Luckily I had a great friend and support that later become my dear sweet wife, and she has had to bare much of the sorrow, anxiety and anger right along with me.
Moving forward to just the past few months, I met very key and critical people that I have been blessed to know and meet. If I would of never left my jobs and decided to pursue my dreams I would have never met them. Most of my life I was bullied, put down and ignored by peers. From my parents that worried and "what if" my whole life - it seemed to me that all my best efforts were in vain. Going back to the core of it all are these certain mentors that changed my life in the course of only a few months. I will name only there first names; Ron, Jay, and Bobby J. - these man that only knew me for a moment in my daring escape from the grind of the corporate world - has shown me things that is really hard to explain in words. Ron is a mentor for the SCORE.ORG that helps small business and it is all free, He told me something that I will never forget and when he said it, I knew that it relates to the gospel and relates to us all - "Every Set back is a Set UP! I knew that everything that I deemed a failure was actually a success, that every trial that I faced was not in vain and had a grand design. I could now walk forward learning from my mistakes in a much more powerful way. Jay taught me many things, but it is the way he as a mentor believes in me and my vision, and adds input and lets me know that I am of great value to my clients. Bobby J. has amazing challenges that is similar to my challenges and has become a great business success story and shares my visions to help me know what I need to do to get to were I want to go, plus he just gets you fired up all the time about dreams and what can be.
I met these man while attending a networking meeting, called ELP and we get together each week to work on our business and not in our business. Linda has been to these meetings and you just cant help feeling like you can do anything - plus they give you the tools and resources to build our own success.
I was honored to receive an award from that group and was recognized for my accomplishments of my small growth in revenue. I realize that I did the effort and put forth the vigor, however they along with my wife were the wind beneath my wings (cliche I know)
"EVER SETBACK IS A SET UP!" - Think about it and you will see what I mean. So what if you lost a job, what ever your dealing with realize that it happened whether forced or not, but now is the time to see what the set up is to your greatness. Linda was miserable at her job, she came home in tears, most every day from people yelling at her over there problems, and already suffers from much scar and pain already - this job was not good for her well being. We prayed about it, and decided to let her make the decision to leave. I knew it was going to be tough and much more pressure on me to provide until she found something better, however it has opened a door for her to explore working with elderly people and using her own talents and her passions. I would say that even know she left her job, she found something better to make her happy.
The pursuit of happiness is in us all, we must dare to dream, dare to take flight and then do it. If we think about the what if's and the maybes we only clip our wings and never get to see the what could of been and the unlimited possibility's that lay before us. I also want to thank Doc Nielsen for helping me in therapy get over my anxiety's and my fears. He as blessed my life with a listening ear and understanding.
10pm today> I actually just got off the phone with Ron and he and Jay are going to be starting a new business and wanted me to be a Board-member (voluntary) for my insight and knowledge that will help them grow and in turn help my ideas and meet new clients, along with design work needed. Again every time I feel that things are going bad, just be patient and along comes the set up and then on to victory. Take faith, be believing in all things...