How I went from crying in an elevator to helping people around the globe create a legendary life
I want to share my personal story about how I was forced to exit the rat race that I had created for myself. My whole life revolved around my career. I always wanted more and nothing was good enough. I wanted more money, more influence, more status, and more success. On the outside, I had it all. I had a luxurious apartment, a beautiful girlfriend, an enormous boat, an expensive convertible, and more than enough money. I had everything and it was always there because that was what I was constantly chasing after.
Deep down I knew that something was off. This was not how I was supposed to live my life. I know now that I was buying and doing all that shit to numb that pain. To feel good about myself. Whatever I did and whatever I tried, it didn’t work. I even started a part-time bachelor’s study because I was convinced that finishing this would bring me peace and joy. But all it was in the end was 4 years of distraction. Nothing more.
I was sick and tired of it so I went to see a psychologist. We talked about my career and concluded that this may be the source of all my stress and unhappiness. This worked perfectly for me because then I could blame something different than myself. This led to a moment where I realized I needed a big change, a great reset for myself. So I sold everything, I quit my job and I even dumped my girlfriend.
So I went to find myself a new job. A job with more money, more status and an even more interesting title on my business card. I can still remember my first day. I felt good, I felt powerful. I was ready for my new life. As the new International partner manager of a startup company, I was in charge of keeping closed clients happy so that they would stay on. Unfortunately, the product did not deliver what was promised and clients started to complain.
I had to make promises to those clients, knowing we couldn’t realize them. I felt that. It ended up costing me my energy and my mental state. I couldn't sleep, didn’t work out, lost all my energy and just felt like shit. After 6 months I was living off Haribo sweets and coffee. I went to my manager to tell him that this wasn’t working out for me, that it was costing me my health. He looked at me silently for a moment and said; “I have the solution for you. What you need Daniel is a brand new BMW to solve your problems.”. As I am a very loyal person, I took on this new toy and clung on to the hope that it would get better.
Another 6 months in I am 12 kilos heavier, sleeping for only 1 hour a night, and don’t have enough energy to change my outfit. Deep down I knew that it wouldn’t get better, but I pushed on. One day I had to train a group of people on the top floor of the building. I walked towards the elevator and stepped in it. Every time the elevator went up a floor, you could hear a little “bing”. With every bing and every floor going up, I felt myself going down. Literally, I dropped on the floor and started crying. I couldn’t hold on anymore.
That was my breaking point. Sure, I still went on with the training and I delivered but after that training, I went to see my manager and quit my job. That was the moment I exited my personal rat race and started living.
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