I’m a completely different person than I was just a year ago. AND I’m much more different than the person I was 10 years ago. Well…let me try to explain.
Being the poster child of a highly conservative religious organization has its perks. Wait..I should clarify something here. The perks exist as long as your ok living someone else’s life – living by someone else’s rules, by someone else’s ideals, by someone else’s expectations. Sounds horrible? Well, it wasn’t all that bad actually. Not at least during my K-12 years. And here’s why. I received a lot of attention, awards, acknowledgment, etc. I made a lot of people happy – including family, teachers and the leaders in my community. I was happy, they were happy, we were all happy. It was a win-win situation for everyone. It really was.
But in retrospect, I feel I missed an important part of my young developmentally years – specifically my rebellious stage. I’m human so there’s no way I was perfect, but on paper I came pretty damn close. Good grades, involved heavily in sports, music, and other extra curricular activities helped my resume look very impressive. I felt good at the time because I believed I was doing the “right thing” – and setting myself up for future (and certain) success….not to mention future HAPPINESS! Don’t get me wrong, I was very happy. I loved my school, my community, my friends and family. AND I still vey much do! I felt very good about who and where I was. I felt confident and on top of the world. How could I not be? Based on society and my community, everything I was doing, was setting me up for a great life. But the downfall was I was defining my life, values, success, and happiness, based on other people and their definitions.
So after getting to college, I realized that I no longer needed to follow the same old rules I had been living by for the majority of my life. It was time to “graduate” and allow myself to become my own person…to shine my own light. I decided to start questioning everything from my motives to my religious beliefs.
My life consisted of several goals. And I worked daily to accomplish them. The main problem however, was that I developed a pattern of living in and for the future. “I just got to get through this and I’ll be rewarded with ultimate happiness.” At least that’s what the unspoken promise is right? In elementary I was thinking about junior high, in junior high I wanted to skip a grade and go to straight high school. I was literally trying to skip 8th grade. I’m glad I didn’t go through with it though. 8th grade was awesome! Aside from losing the 8th grade presidential race. As a freshman, I was already thinking about being a senior. Then, as a senior, you can probably already guess, that I was getting bored with high school. Luckily, I was already taking a few college courses so I felt I was “getting ahead.” Which brings me back to my point. I hardly gave myself the opportunity to enjoy any of it because I was never fully present.
So how is this all a good thing? Well, now I’m in my rebellious stage. And in business, that’s a good thing. I’m not doing or promoting anything illegal, all I’m saying is that I’m at a point where Richard Branson’s famous words, “Screw it Lets Do It,” makes so much sense to me. I’m pushing the envelope so to speak. I’m asking why things have to be a certain way and why I have to live my life a certain way. And as a result, I’m getting more creative in terms of being able to provide solutions for my clients, my family and community. It’s kinda like those “word problems” we had to solve in elementary, except the problem you have to solve is real life stuff. There are no right answers and the only way to actually arrive at a solution or an answer is to try, try and try again. Now that fuels my entrepreneurial spirit!
All the things that use to have pull with me (i.e. a high paying job, predictable schedules, perfect life, etc.), are of little importance now. I crave adventure, independence both financially and mentally, and look for opportunities to be playful. Yes, I get a few bumps, scraps and bruises along the way, but I’d prefer no other way to live.
I’d like to say that happiness isn’t something we get from circumstances, people or things – it’s something only you can give yourself. BUT, that happiness can only come from the you that is genuine – the REAL and TRUE you that has been calling you to break free. So I encourage you to join me and unshackle the chains that bond your happiness to something outside of yourself or something far out in the distant future.
So you might be thinking that I’m bitter or upset with the way things went. Well, I’m not. In fact I’m really really grateful and thankful for my past. You see, my past is what has lead me to where I am today. I also realize that my perspective of my past can empower me or make me a victim. Having a positive outlook on the past empowers. Ok, no back to thanking all those who had an impact in my life. I was in such a loving and caring environment. I had support and constant encouragement.
Today, I’m proud to say that I’m a grateful, rebel with a cause and I’m out to make you a rebel too.