Rewind the clock 2,922 days.
That's 70,128 hours ago! And it brings us to April 30, 2015. Exactly EIGHT years ago.
On that day, I showed up to work and decided to quit my “9-5” job.
A job that wasn't bad. A job that many people would love to have.
Did people think I was crazy? Of course.
But as I've learned first hand, if you have big dreams, they will be difficult to accomplish without a little bit of crazy...
This is not a post about how I’ve made it.
This is not a post about how successful you can be if you do exactly what I did.
To be honest… This post is not even about “success.”
This is simply day 2,922 of believing in myself and enjoying the process in this crazy game called life. And if this post happens to light a fire under one person’s ass and motivates them to do something they love, then the purpose of this post is a success!
Ok. Back to the story. Back to April 30, 2015.
I woke up that morning and knew things would be different by the end of that day.
I walked into my office that morning with a job. And structure. And responsibilities!
And I walked out of that office a few hours later with a world of opportunity! A "free" man!
For the record, I had a pretty cool job at a sports marketing firm. It was an amazing learning experience. I got to help produce & manage college basketball events, sell sponsorships across our properties (which, by the way took place at MSG & the Barclays Center), speak with college coaches and athletic directors on a daily basis... etc etc.
Doesn't sound too bad right??
That's because it wasn't!
But... at the time I noticed I just hadn't been waking up with the same passion as I did previously. And I knew I had to do something about it, because I wasn't happy and I wasn't helping anyone, including myself.
It was time to move on to the next chapter of my life. I was pumped!
But if I’m being completely honest I was scared as shit at the same time.
Because I had no idea what was next.
I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted to do. But I had no clue how to get there.
As each day went by, I got more and more excited. I was well aware the next chapter wasn't going to be an easy path, so I was ready for a bumpy ride. I was prepared to enjoy the process, not the destination. And the more I started to fall in love with that process, the less stressful it was. And very soon into that process I noticed my life priorities begin to change.
I started spending less time doing the “cool” stuff and more time on what really mattered. Ok quick side note. This wasn't an overnight process. I’m not going to lie, I freaked out a little bit immediately after quitting. After a few too many drinks the very next evening (I believe we call that liquid courage 🙄), I booked a one way plane ticket to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. And I ended up backpacking Southeast Asia by myself for 6 weeks. But I’ll save that story for a later date lol.
Ironically, that crazy trip was the first major mindset shift for me. Upon returning in the summer of 2015, I was more locked in than ever before. I started putting all my attention on my mind and body. And becoming the best version of myself.
Sometimes the security we feel in our current positions can be misleading. It's nice to feel safe and comfortable, but is that "security" holding you back from your true potential?
Just because we have a job and structure, doesn't mean that we should become content. In reality, most people are only one or two paychecks away from being in a detrimental financial situation, including not being able to make monthly rent payments. That brings us to a separate discussion about spending and saving habits... but that's not where I'm going with this.
Even though we feel secure at times, understand that could potentially be a cover up for being scared of the unknown.
But I encourage you to explore that unknown.
By taking a leap of faith outside of your comfort zone, you will realize that the “secure feeling” might actually be like a weighted vest holding you back from a world of opportunity.
The past eight years have brought a plethora of ups and downs. There have been times where I’ve felt like I’m on top of the world. And times where I’ve sincerely questioned my sanity (more than a few).
I’ve been lucky enough to explore 39 different countries along the way, and counting (God-willing). Here are a few:
I explored Vietnam - from big cities to small villages. I spent a few days trekking the jungle in Thailand.
I got a masters degree from a University in Italy via the Euroleague. I made hundreds of new friends (probably thousands).
I've slept on a train overnight through Austria & somehow talked my way into a free stay at 5 star resort in Barcelona.
I went off-roading through a dessert in southern Israel and floated for hours in the Dead Sea.
I drank the most wine I've consumed in my entire life during a 6 hour dinner in Tbilisi, Georgia. And then somehow made it to a basketball game in the middle of Armenia the following day.
I hiked up a mountain for some breathtaking views at Lake Bled in Slovenia before partying 4 days straight in Belgrade.
Speaking of Belgrade, if you're a basketball fan and you have not been to a Euroleague game in Pionir Hall, add it to your bucket list, you can thank me later (check the scene at 2:07 in the video below)!
I’ve eaten the best gnocchi in the world in a hole-in-the-wall osteria on the outskirts of Bologna... and I'm pretty sure I can die happy after crushing some baklava in Istanbul.
I've gotten my haircut for $1 USD in Macedonia and taken a selfie with a wild goat during a hike in Montenegro.
I got to visit clients in various countries around the world (Spain, Denmark, Cyprus and just Georgia to name a few).
And most recently, I got to spend an entire month immersing myself in the culture in Japan. From shrine visits to exploring the basketball leagues to sake bars... and much more in between.
Alright I think you get the point. I’ll stop there for now. But trust me, there's an abundance of untold stories.
If there's one thing I hope you take away from this rant, it's this:
One of the best decisions in my life was the day I decided to take the leap of faith towards living the life I wanted to live.
Every single day I try to focus on a few things. All things that are in my control:
1 -- Being grateful for things I have and not worrying about the things I don’t have
2 -- Giving unconditionally without the expectation of anything in return
3 -- Attacking life as unapologetically and passionately as I can
There have been many who supported me along the way. I can’t thank you enough! There have been many who rooted against me along the way. I owe you an even bigger thank you!
Here's to the next 8 years (and hopefully many more after that)... wherever they lead....
#ChaseYourVision #TrustTheProcess #KreationTalent p.s. I still have my old blog posts up from the Southeast Asia trip if you're looking for more stories ;)
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