The whole story.
The Catalyst was Total Destruction
So there I was, 32 years old and thinking I had it all figured out. Riding high, believing I was "on my way" to greatness. But life had other plans for me, and it wasn't gentle about revealing them. It became brutally apparent that I was on my own, clueless and utterly devoid of any real understanding.
You see, back in August 2019, I was hit hard by a relentless adversary: POTS, an auto-immune nervous system disease. It knocked me down and challenged me in ways I couldn't have imagined. To get a sense of what its like to have POTS, imagine having a panic attack that can last days to weeks without respite. Imagine your body feeling foreign to you, and your favorite foods and activities, once a source of comfort, triggering the worst symptoms. Imagine being trapped in your body, consciously aware of the dysfunction, but there’s nothing you can do but lay down until it passes. And this happens almost everyday, without warning. It’s kind of like that.
Then came December 2019, a month that forced me to confront my worst fears. I had to let go of my beloved marketing and design agency, the very thing I had poured my heart and soul into for four long years. It was more than just losing a business; it was losing a piece of myself, my identity. Everything I thought defined me was gone, vanished into thin air.
“When your identity shatters, what remains is your authentic self. This is scary, because its your most vulnerable self. But now you have an opportunity to rebuild using the pieces you want and the pieces you create.”
Rebuilding on a Foundation of Acceptance, Gratitude, and Self-Love
In the midst of this chaos, I found myself adrift, lost in a sea of uncertainty. Fear crept into my every waking moment; even though I was surrounded by loving friends and family, an indescribable loneliness settled within that shook me to my core.
But here's the twist. That loneliness, that darkness, became the wellspring of my greatest strength. It forced me to evolve into the resilient and powerful man I always knew was there. From the depths of despair, no joke – it was despair, I made myself a promise to create the most meaningful life possible within the constraints of my reality. Ready or not, I set out to conquer whatever life had in store for me.
Today, I write this, not as the person I once was, but as the person I am becoming—a flawed yet determined soul, striving to make something extraordinary of this one life. I've taken stock of my journey, reflected on the highs and lows, the triumphs and the heartaches. And in this introspection, I've discovered a truth—an undeniable truth that I cannot ignore…
I've come to realize that my passions are not mere whims or fleeting desires—they are the lifeblood that courses through my veins, the compass that guides my steps. In following these passions, I meet myself where I'm at, embracing the person I am today while honoring the person I aspire to be.
Join me on my journey in finding out what happens when I live as the most honest and authentic version of me.