GIVING UP WAS NOT AN OPTION
During my life journey, I was using painful and uncontrollable situations as motivation to keep going. We all know life is not easy, it teaches us difficult lessons that make us scratch our heads and ask why me? The reason I’m writing this post is to inspire and give people hope. Are going through some tough times right now? Don’t give up. Here are ten things that happen to me that did not deter me from living a positive life.
- School I attended One of the lowest ranking schools in California. When I was in Jr High my math teacher decided to beat me up in front of the school faculty. An IPhone would have come in handy that day. By the way, the teacher retired with honors years later. At 17 I dropped out of high school and got my GED. But I kept moving forward and did not give up.
- City I was born and raised in a small border town Calexico, CA. Not only does it have the worst unemployment rate in the US at over 25% it’s one of the top 3 hottest places in the US. It gets over 120 degrees in the summer time. By the way, when I was younger I tried to fry an egg on the pavement. If you like your eggs over easy Calexico is the place for YOU!. But I kept moving forward chasing my dream.
- Drugs Illegal substances were a part of life especially living in a border town. At age 13 I started smoking marijuana and experimented with cocaine at 16. Years later I started selling drugs. Fortune lately I wasn’t good at it. After a couple sales, I was arrested for selling to an undercover police officer. After successfully completing the court requirements I kept moving forward and not give up.
- Hospital During my journey I landed in the ER four Unfortunately, they were all stress related. One time I am experiencing cloudiness in my eyes and could not see. I thought I was having a stroke or going blind. It was all work related stress. My advice is to find a job that feels like a hobby. But I kept moving forward and not give up.
- Homeless In 2012 I was homeless living in a hotel with a family of four. After I had run out of money, we stayed at a friend’s living room floor for a couple of months. There was hardly any room for my son who is 6’3” tall. But I kept moving forward and not give up.
- Money Not having enough money to pursue my dream motivated me to keep going. For example, I recently wrote and published my book for $200.00 by outsourcing all the work overseas. My book cover cost me $5.50 on fiverr.com. At one time, money was a roadblock in my mission but I kept moving forward and not give up.
- 25 jobs The average jobs someone has in one lifetime is 12-13. I’ve had 25 in 20 years searching for my dream job. I probably experience over 200 interviews and submitted over 1000 applications. If you don’t like where you work leave, it’s that simple. Find your passion and happiness by doing something you love to do. Having so many jobs did not stop me achieving my dreams. Go with your gut feeling and don't listen to anyone.
- Speaking Growing up I was always getting teased by my brothers for speaking and writing in Spanglish, which is 50% English and 50% Spanish. I would always mix both languages when speaking, it was embarrassing. You think that stop me from following my dreams. Obviously not going to school did not help. Most of my friends spoke Spanish, so that’s all I knew. “You are the average of five people you hang out with” But I kept moving forward and not give up.
- Depression Combining all my trials and tribulations were too much for my mind to handle. In 2007, I experienced what most people call a nervous breakdown. My mind reached its limit point. Imagine living a 30-minute movie in your mind of the worse horror movies combined, and you’re the victim in the film. The thought of suicide did come up during that scary episode. But I kept moving forward and not give up.
- Health After two MRIs they discovered a brain tumor when my daughter was two. She had no mobility at the time. After installing two shunts that are valves, my daughter began to walk. Now she's 17 and doing great!! A couple of years ago my wife was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis, and she was only in her 40s. After continuous fighting, she has managed to defy all odds and increase her bone density 75%. But we kept moving forward and never gave up.
Are you giving up on your dreams? From speaking Spanglish to winning two international speech contest at Toastmasters. Not being able to write a sentence to writing a book and becoming a blog contributor to three major websites. From going through a nervous break down to having a peace of mind and helping others improve their lives. You have the potential to do great things. Life is too short to be unhappy. Keep moving forward and don’t ever give up. You never know it could be worse.
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Joe Rodriguez who authored 25 To A Happy Life is a Coach/Speaker. From being homeless to suffering a nervous breakdown to working 25+ jobs in 20 years searching for happiness. 3 ways to reduce stress sign up here www.joerodriguez.co
The post 10 Life Predicaments That Tried To Derail My Dreams appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
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