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