Transition

Over the last couple of months I have learned more about myself than at any other period of my life. Even when I came out of drug addiction I didn’t learn this much. I don’t know if it has something to do with the fact that I’ve just matured, grown up, become more self-aware; or if it’s because something deep inside of me has opened wide to accept what the universe has to offer.

I recently just went back to college to study a very intense subject in a very short period of time. For the last several years I’ve been a bartender, server or a manager of a restaurant. All of these jobs keep the brain functioning, and functioning well. But it wasn’t stimulating enough. My mind was BORED. I drank too much, my sleep patterns were all over the map and I put on weight like crazy. Mostly I put on weight because of poor eating habits and being too lazy to work out.

Something shifted last December and I finally made a decision to get the FUCK out. I was tired of dealing with drunks all the time. I was tired of juggling diplomacy between the crazy assholes at the bar and my bosses. I was tired of being given the responsibility of a manager only to be micro managed. I was sick to death of people treating me like shit just because I was there server and I was there to be nice to them. I was sick and tired of actually having to threaten people with the baseball bat behind the bar in order to get them to calm down.

At some point something snapped deep down in my soul and I realized that I was so much better than the life I was making for myself. It was time to figure out something new. It was time to get my shit together and SHINE.

And so here I am, 34 years old and in college again. Older than three of my instructors and more than 10 years older than the oldest student in my class. Learning to adjust to a whole new life was a challenge on it’s own; let alone giving up the money from bartending, learning how to study again and learning a whole new career.

Everyone told me that the last month of the quarter would be the most challenging. But what I’ve discovered about myself is that I’ve fallen in love. I’ve fallen in love with my new life. Despite the fact that I’m broke. Despite the fact that I’m still stressed out. It’s a different kind of stress. It’s the kind of stress that makes me happy.

What I’ve learned in the last 3 months cannot be summed up in this short little blurb. But what I can say is this. Everyone on this planet was put here for a reason. Sometimes it can take years to figure out what that reason is. However, I PROMISE you, it’s worth the wait. When you finally find your niche in this world you will discover the true meaning of happiness. You will start jumping out of bed a little earlier each day. You will face challenges with a new outlook and your old attitude will disappear. You will start annoying your friends with your new life; and sometimes, you will lose those friends.

You’ll quickly learn who is in it for the long haul and who is in your life for just a short while. When you stop partying and start focusing, priorities change and the people who you thought were your friends will all of a sudden stop calling. They will be annoyed with you when you can’t go out because you have more important things to do. You will find yourself outside of the circle. And you will love every minute of it because you will know that what you’re doing is for YOU. What you’re creating in your life is magic. You will feel a sense of accomplishment that cannot be beaten down by a couple of drunks from the pub.