21 Years Old - Process / Lessons / Wake-Up Call

[Original92]

I would like to share my story with you, for multiple reasons.. First of all I just want to dump my toughts, share some things, maybe help some people and I just want to remind people to take action..

I am 21 years old and I live in The Netherlands, I am currently in College (study Marketing/Entrepreneurship/Innovation) and also running a Business with my dad. We've been through some tough shit the last years (haven't we all?)..

Our Business.
What it all comes down to is the fact that my dad got screwed multiple times and lost his job and we now have to "survive" with running a catering business. So basically my dad can do almost anything with food and the quality is great. I am taking care of the marketing/business side of it. For me this is a good learning process, but it is also a Huge "burden" because I am feeling very responsible for the income we get. If we don't bring enough money in every month we could lose the house and everything.

My dad has become pretty depressed and he is very very stressed, we have a lot of arguments but I cannot let him down..

My mom works as much as she can but she can't bring enough money in to pay the bills and stuff.

I know that this business is far from fastlane but we have to make this a succes so we can pay our bills. My dream is to have a fastlane business so I can support my family so they don't have to worry about financial burdens.

I am constantly thinking about "fastlane ways" to bring some cashflow into our houshold, but at the same time I have to work on our business to bring enough money in.

Health Issues.
I also have a big problem with my health, since I was young I am having lots of trouble with my stomach, and all the stress from the last years and now has made it worse, I have Adrenal Fatigue/Burn-out (wich means that your hormones are not functioning well > always very tired, brain fog during morning and afternoon, mood swings etc.) and a bacterial infection in my stomach. These things are caused by lots of stress and it is pushing me out of balance every day.

Everyday I wake up I feel like having a hangover and this feeling disappears after around 16:00..

I am fighting this with healthy food and a different lifestyle, but it is very hard and I am keep falling back. It also seems as nobody really understands it, no matter how hard you try to explain this.

What am I doing to push myself forward?
I am reading books about self-development, business, marketing, copywriting etc. To develop essential skills to bring enough money on the table in the future..

Doing the Gary Halbert Challenge (but not in 30 days..)

I am trying to heal myself from my health issues. (clean foods, sleep, meditation etc.)

Working on the Catering business to make it a succes..

Going to College (But I have planned to take the next year off so I can focus on our Business)

Trying to come up with a plan to support us financially with a more "fastlane / scalable business"..

Looking for some cashflow/passive income (Is affiliate marketing/CPA and stuff like that worth pursuing? Or should I explore other ways to generate passive income?)

What You Should Realize..
I am learning very much of these hard times, especially from my health problems, it is a long and hard process (so is everything worth getting in life) and it makes me realize the potential I have when I could function a whole day with normal energy and a clear mind. I want you to realize that you should appreciate the fact that you have enormous potential if you have the right mindset, motivation, dedication and a vision. If you have the energy you can make almost anything a reality. One day I hope I will have the energy again to live the life I dream of. If YOU have a healthy mind and body, what are you waiting for to realize your dreams? WAKE up and go after it, take f*cking action. I am so tired of the people around me that always talk about the things they want but they never go after it.

This whole process is really scary but that is life. You could either choose to stay in you scared place and seek a little comfort, or you could look your fear right in the eyes and move forward to a better place where you can enjoy the fruits of life.

Realize that the majority of the people don't want to pay the price, only seeking comfort and they just want people to tell them what to do. I would say, use this in your advantage. If you can shift your mindset and embrace the process you can kick start your journey to succes..

Lessons learned so far:

• Take NOTHING for granted (not your health, not your GF, not your money..)
• Nobody gives a f*ck so just do what you think is best for you
• What you learn in "School/College" has simply almost no value in the real world..
• Work hard for what you want and pay the prize to enjoy life
• Family is the most important thing in life
• Stay away from everything related to short term gratification (Junk food, drugs, games etc)
• Your body and mind is the only thing you have so you better support it, rather than destroy it..

PS:
I used to go out alot, drink, smoke weed with friends etc. But I had to change that because I am trying to move things forward and those things bring me backwards. But it is very hard to connect with these friends because they have the "Chill-out mindset", here smoke this joint... All they do is play games, smoke weed and hang around and do nothing.. Alltough they are my friends for many years I just can't seem to connect with them anymore, they don't understand that I have to put many hours in our business and I cannot talk to them about my health issues, they simply don't or don't want to understand. It sometimes feels as if I am on a whole other level, more aware of things around me.. Does anyone have these experiences? That if you throw your life around that you simply disconnect from people you were once close to? How do you deal with this?

It feels like a relieve to post this actually, I would be suprised if anyone read this big a$$ post, anyway it did make me feel a little better and I hope I could wake some people up to take some action..

 

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[Synz]

Sometimes it shocks me when wandering about and talking to people, how different my group of friends is to the average person of this generation (I'm 22). I suppose that's probably why they're my friends. Try find people who have similar beliefs and values, or are at least willing to debate them without having a hissy fit and breaking down. Most of my best friends are heaps of fun to hang around with, but dumb as punch. That being said, I treasure every moment I spend with them more than anything in the world.

Don't be afraid to spend more time working on your own projects, but don't forget or neglect your friends or family for any reason. They're what will keep you sane, inspired, happy, motivated, and will always be good for a laugh or a shoulder to lean on in rough times. These are the most important relationships you'll ever have.

PS: I'm doing the 30 day challenge too, good luck to you. How far through it are you?

 

[Original92]

Thanks for that insight...

Currently I am reading book #4, will finish in 60 days I think.. You doing 30 days?

 

[Synz]

I'm about an hour away from the end of my first 24 hours. On track to get it done in the 30, but you never really know. I have a strong tendancy to go off on my own little tangent for a while then return to the original plan a while later with hands on experience and greater understanding of the topic. It is a lot of reading and note taking, though. I'm probably going to skip the note taking and go straight to writing practice copy until I feel it flows nicely enough

 

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[GuestUser201]

Good luck original, you sound like you have a very big heart and that you care about your family very much. I am very sorry to hear about your health problems, and I know it is probably a huge burden along with the stress of helping to run the family business.

Just remember that You, Me, and Everyone else on this forum is super lucky to even have internet or food to eat. Any time you are feeling down or unmotivated, just remember that you have more wealth than over 60% of the people on this planet. You are fluent in English, you have a family, you have food to eat, you have the opportunity to have an education.

Keep your head up! I realize that your culture may be very different than the western one that I've been raised in, but try your best to talk to your Dad and tell him that if you all keep a positive mindset, you'll be more successful, less stressed, and you'll all be working less against yourselves.

Also, like Synz said, surround yourself with people you idolize, not people who just enjoy cheap thrills. I've been down that road before too, but now I only hangout with my friends on occasion because I know that investing my time in helping myself grow as a human is going to give me the greatest return, not abusing drugs, alcohol, or entertainment. There are so many forms of resistance in life, find them and eradicate or limit them so you can move forward with less drag!

The harder you push now with all of these things against you, the faster you'll grow when things get better, and as long as you're trying your hardest (but only with the right mindset and attitude), there is a way bigger chance that things will work out. Good luck again my friend!

 

[Dinho7]

Good post, Original. All I can do is to wish you the best of luck. You have identified your problems and you seem to have a great mindset and perspective of life, so I am sure it will get better if you keep working hard on all fronts (business, self-education, health).

 

[Original92]

I'm about an hour away from the end of my first 24 hours. On track to get it done in the 30, but you never really know. I have a strong tendancy to go off on my own little tangent for a while then return to the original plan a while later with hands on experience and greater understanding of the topic. It is a lot of reading and note taking, though. I'm probably going to skip the note taking and go straight to writing practice copy until I feel it flows nicely enough

Yes alot of reading, you should go your own way yes! I will go back and take notes though because that's how I learn the best. Did you finish the book with 1000+ pages yet? Looks like a huge mountain to me haha

Good luck original, you sound like you have a very big heart and that you care about your family very much. I am very sorry to hear about your health problems, and I know it is probably a huge burden along with the stress of helping to run the family business.

Just remember that You, Me, and Everyone else on this forum is super lucky to even have internet or food to eat. Any time you are feeling down or unmotivated, just remember that you have more wealth than over 60% of the people on this planet. You are fluent in English, you have a family, you have food to eat, you have the opportunity to have an education.

Keep your head up! I realize that your culture may be very different than the western one that I've been raised in, but try your best to talk to your Dad and tell him that if you all keep a positive mindset, you'll be more successful, less stressed, and you'll all be working less against yourselves.

Also, like Synz said, surround yourself with people you idolize, not people who just enjoy cheap thrills. I've been down that road before too, but now I only hangout with my friends on occasion because I know that investing my time in helping myself grow as a human is going to give me the greatest return, not abusing drugs, alcohol, or entertainment. There are so many forms of resistance in life, find them and eradicate or limit them so you can move forward with less drag!

The harder you push now with all of these things against you, the faster you'll grow when things get better, and as long as you're trying your hardest (but only with the right mindset and attitude), there is a way bigger chance that things will work out. Good luck again my friend!

Thx alot!
That is what I am trying to make clear, I appreciate the little things in life more and I am actually thankful for the struggles because it made me realize so many things, it waked me up...

I always took things for granted and that is a big mistake.

Good post, Original. All I can do is to wish you the best of luck. You have identified your problems and you seem to have a great mindset and perspective of life, so I am sure it will get better if you keep working hard on all fronts (business, self-education, health).

Thx, I think it is very important to not run away from your problems..

What are you guys doing to push yourselfs forward? Projects? Habits? Skills?

 

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