Thousands of miles away in Portugal...
At this point, I haven't lived in Michigan for nearly 10 years
After I left for Tennessee at the age of 22, I never returned back home
Now at the young age of 33, I sit in Portugal, starting my solo entrepreneurial journey...

Let me be clear though, nothing over the past ten years has been easy for me
I had my heart broken and I also lost close friends and family members
I lived with over 25 different people, and in 10 different homes
I see my parents, brother, and sister far less than I should
I got severely injured in bad motorcycle accident
I spent a lot of time alone and lonely
That being said, I never once
Sat down and gave up
Either should you...
Take The First Exit
A vast majority of people are stuck in jobs they hate
Shit...I have been there myself a few different times in my life
What's interesting though, is that many of these people choose to stay
Even though they are miserable, depressed, and disconnected from their work
Unfortunately, I know exactly what it feels like, and it was me in Tennessee
I was working in financial services (sales) and I really didn't like it
It killed me too because I moved down there for the job
And I worked my ass off to earn the opportunity
I also built up a decent reputation as well
I really thought I had what I wanted
But something didn't feel right
And I needed a change
I was 27 years old...
Crash and Burn...
Luckily, my good friend was getting married in Portugal in 2016
It was my first time in Portugal, and I fell in love with the landscape and the people
While visiting, I imagined myself being there for a longer period of time
But that didn't really fit into my life and how things were going
Then, on the way back home, my girlfriend dumped me
My life was completely flipped upside down now
I hated my job and I just got dumped
There was no reason to stay
I was totally defeated...
Want to know what's even worse?
I wasn't ready for the rejection one bit, and it hurt
I thought I met all societies needs and checked all the boxes
I had a "great" job, a nice apartment, a nice car, and plenty of money
It was the biggest wake-up call of my life to date my friends
I realized all that shit didn't mean anything at all
It was all a mask to block the real truth
It was time to be myself...
The Dilemma
I had decided to quit my job, but I didn't really know exactly how to quit
I also didn't know exactly what I was going to do once I resigned
Getting my MBA was always an option I had in mind tho
And it seemed like my best option at that time
On top of that, Lisbon had a program
That had a partnership with MIT
And the next thing you know
I had made my decision
Lisbon or bust!
Don't Get It Twisted...
The move was not only the reaction of my relationship ending
It definitely made it possible, but discovering meaningful work was the main driver
I've always told myself I would not settle for a job I'm miserable with and don't enjoy doing
You see, most of us spend more than 50% of our waking hours working
There will never be a perfect work/life balance to achieve
Instead, focus on finding meaning work instead
This will bring balance to your life
And take of the pressure...
The Lesson...
My journey to Portugal was a combination of life events
And I took an opportunity that had a handful of unknowns attached to it
But in the end, it led me to find meaningful work that I really enjoy and appreciate
On top of that, it led me to starting my own company and resigning again
This time, from a job that I actually enjoyed most of the time
But I knew inside I wanted more than it offered
And there were no life events this time
Just courage and confidence...
Are you afraid to exit?
You shouldn't be!
You're better than that....
With Love,
Steven Arthur George #cannabeme