Years ago, back in 2010, I wrote a brief article about how much I desperately wanted to live a life of significance, but couldn’t, because I didn’t know how.
I said things like this-
“I can see myself in the near future breaking out of the corporate mold that has held me in prison for so long. It has provided a living for my family, yes, but has stripped me of the ability to do anything but work 8 to 5.”
-Me, 2010
I realize now just how long I’ve been wanting to break free from that mold, and how long I’ve struggled with it. When I say “I’ve been in a rut for over ten years,” I’m not kidding. The proof is right here.
Looking back on this now, in January of 2021, I realize this was really the origin of the journey to where I am now. Even back then, I knew I had to do something. But I was unprepared, and uneducated on how to get where I wanted to go. And nobody was urging me onward to do it.
Right then, I decided I was going to do something about it. I started bike commuting to work, lost a bunch of weight, and was (physically, at least) making a lot of progress. I wrote about how I wanted to start working on blogging and writing professionally, and started taking steps towards that. I was logging over 100 miles a week on the bike, and was in the best shape of my life.
All good things, right? I was on the way to making it happen. I was moving forward. I was “crushing it.”
Then, in July of 2011, I was severely injured in a cycling accident. Everything in my life came to a screeching halt. I was bedridden for weeks, and on crutches for 3 months. The doctors said I might never walk without a limp. I was absolutely, utterly devastated. Continue reading “How I Joined The Fraternity Of Excellence”