What got me here

In the fall on 2018 I lost my job.  Actually my employer shut down our entire division and hired a subcontractor to replace us.  I am a “Facilities Engineer."  My days consist of changing light ballast, replacing toilets and establishing satellite feeds.  Blue collar at best and well below my skills and capabilities, but I digress.

 

Despite knowing for a year this change was coming I buried my head in the sand and trudged along assuming everything would work out.  After submitting plenty of resumes and several interviews and follow ups with promising leads with promising companies, no job offers, no good prospects.  This despite a rebounding economy and rapidly sinking unemployment rate.  I can’t understand what is wrong.  I feel like I interview well, I am well-spoken and professionally dressed.  I think I am relatively smart and certainly competent.  I have run my own business, and I know what I look for in a good employee, so why am I getting no where?  Could there be other forces at work, is there something else I am destined to do? 

 

At this time I am on the verge on divorce having moved out and left my wife and 3 daughters.  I am at an all time low and on my knees in prayer, often.  Then as I begin on a quest to figure out who I am, and what I am going to do.  I start watching motivational videos on YouTube.  First it’s the usual Tony Robbins and random dime-a-dozen get rich quick guys, but then I find Jim Rohn, and for some reason his quirky voice and odd speech patterns connect with me.  HE speaks of principles and ideas that have been tossed at my most of my life but for some reason they ring true.  Really true.  He said "Get a journal."  So for some reason, I went to Hobby Lobby and I bought one.  And two neat little pens to write with.  Then he said "Read the books."  So I started writing down all the books to read in the journal.  First thing I did.  Then he said, "Think of some goals and write ‘em down."  I tried.  This turned out to be harder than I thought.  What were my goals?   What did I want? Who did I want to be?  How was I going to make money? 

 

As I was working on this, I stumbled onto 2 audio books that completely flipped my switch.  I don’t know if it was because I was now asking my self these deeper tougher questions or if it was because I felt so lost and clueless or how to move forward.  But mainly I think it was because I was too cheap to pay for audio books.  First I found “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and then “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss.  These two books gave me the two critical things I needed.  The Tools and the Motivation.  Think and Grow Rich, for some reason hearing it whether it was the gravely voice of Earl Nightengale reading it or the simplicity of the process, it resonated so clearly that this was the way.  The only way.

 

Having known a world before the internet and its limitless possibilities I had failed to truly realize that everything I need to be successful; at whatever I want to do, is in the palm of my hand……literally.  If I want to make pod cast there are hundreds of books, blogs, vlogs, videos, website, and the almighty YouTube clips that can explain and teach it to me it intricate detail.  NO matter what I want to do, there is someone and someway that it is already being done.  This is what I learned and what inspired me from All of Tim Ferriss' books but The 4 Hour Work Week audio book specifically.  There are specific assignments and takeaways, specific details and methods to get the information.  Its like a text book, or better yet, guide book.  Hearing it on my daily commutes and during exercise would literally force me to stop whatever I was doing , go back and take notes in that now beloved journal.  This information would help to guide me down a new and exciting path. 

I have always been on a quest for knowledge.  Well maybe not always, but living in my dead-end job for the past 8 years, not having any goals, challenges and living a life well short of my capabilities  gave me the time to begin to have this desire.  So I stopped applying for jobs ,stop plodding through indeed, monster, and linked in.  I decided I was going to live the life I want, my terms, my way. I want to make money but more importantly affect lives.  If I can have an impact on others that will be my true legacy.  IF I do that then the money and opportunities to make money will come. And not just make money but make money that will really allow me to do exciting things with interesting people I care about.  And that when things start getting weird.  I had asked God with a very sincere heart for help, to step in and show me a way, give me some kind of guidance, Something serious because I just did nt know what else to do. 

So I start journaling and asking questions and plotting and scheming.  I am not sure how but I’ve got to find a plan to make things work.  Make money and realize my potential and dreams.