At what point in your life did you get your shit together

Pierina wrote:About a week ago, and I am still in the process. It is hard, you feel weak sometimes, but every little thing you accomplish matters. It is a matter of decision. I was tired of not using my potential of having so many dreams and not doing anything to really pursue them. You need discipline, self-confidence and understanding it is a process of consistency. The party animal is dead, I am in my first year in college. Now I know there is a balance between having a good time and just going out for inertia, careless. When you realize how much you can do, you realize your potential, only you set the limit and the guidelines. I have high goals, but none will become true if real effort doesn't come with them. It is my time, not to shine, but use all my potential to generate an impact and make my city, country and the world in general a better place.

Man, now I want to know who this was. Was it Waves Within

I've been just totally vibing out lately. It's very funny. I have completely given up on the idea of ever accumulating enough wealth to actually belong in the ownership class, which has been weirdly liberating for me. Literally all that I've done the last two months is spend everyday studying and writing in the library and then getting absolutely smashed every night with various friends. This weekend I am probably heading down to Perugia to hang out with some friends and some Italian models. In about a month I am going to Tunisia with some friends, which is going to be fucking amazing. Over the summer I have a really fun trip planned that involves a massive Mediterranean tour of Puglia, Calabria, Greece, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

I don't know what it means to have my life "together," but I am having a fun ass time lately.

If you’re doing this without financial assistance then you’ve made it.

i finally left the restaurant industry and am writing full-time, so i guess i have my shit together

BGwaves wrote:If you’re doing this without financial assistance then you’ve made it.

Yeah, I don't have any financial assistance. However, I am only ever breaking even.

Well then I suppose you’ve made it! Welcome to the club!

I was thinking about this thread today after I had a conversation with my daughter about 401Ks. She's almost 30 years old. I didn't notice I was old too.

Honestly, I feel like stuff just happened and I did whatever I thought made sense at the time. At least as I understood things to be at that moment.

It made me think back to when I was living in the burbs working a real estate job. Passing the time making absurd jokes on a music board and downloading music off Soulseek with a few other absurd bros.

Somehow I ended up in Florida, California and now here I am sitting in my house, back in Chicago a decade or so later.

I guess I did get my shit together. But it didn't really hit me till today in some ways.

i'm probably gonna get a job offer next week and i'll have health insurance for the first time in maybe a decade so in american terms, i've made it baybee

College.

I was like the kid in Catcher in the Rye mixed with Ferris Beuler and it's a minor miracle I even graduated High School.

But, once I got to college I got straight A's for the first time.

In adult life it was a few years ago: I was a desktop publisher and Photoshop expert for quite some time, but out-sourcing and technology killed that field. My old bros make pennies now. One of my old bros literally works on an assembly line now and the other one was delivering pizzas. Pretty sad actually, because at one time they were pulling 100K plus. What I did was I got an internship at a Digital Marketing agency and got certified in Salesforce Pardot in 2019. I literally had to "fake" a career for about a year by freelancing, but then landed a gig fully remote with a joint in New Jersey. Then, I was the ONLY candidate for a job interview at an awesome company in Chicago. So, I transitioned careers successfully in my late 40s and now I work for a company that makes money hand over fist (huge bonuses, great benefits) and I'm pulling 100K plus, while my old bros are slaves to the man and lucky to make 40K. The best thing about digital marketing is that you can do it for any industry... so, you want to make big raises: market for bankers, that sort of thing. My story is one of success against all odds.

Musically, I was dead in the water in my 30s and I re-invented myself 7 years ago as a music instructor and director. I got lucky in a new school, and with turnover I became a top director almost right away. Now, when I eventually move to Nashville I will be able to have an amazing musical career with 10 years of teach/directing and 30 years of playing live. I'm in a great band now and I am able to play the music of all of my heroes regularly. So, on top of my successful career in digital marketing, I now am also a top flight musician who just banks all that extra cash.

Also, in my 40s I fulfilled my life long dream of becoming a black belt in Tae Kwon Ko and Combat Hapkido, which was also 5 great years of bonding with my son and helping him be a good man.

Both pretty big stories of redemption! And, my daughter, directly because my musical effort: is songwriting with industry pros! She's a sophomore at an elite music University, and my son is an expert drummer/vocalist at 15 years old with endless girlfriends on his arm.

Life is good.

damo suzuki wrote:I was thinking about this thread today after I had a conversation with my daughter about 401Ks. She's almost 30 years old. I didn't notice I was old too.

Honestly, I feel like stuff just happened and I did whatever I thought made sense at the time. At least as I understood things to be at that moment.

It made me think back to when I was living in the burbs working a real estate job. Passing the time making absurd jokes on a music board and downloading music off Soulseek with a few other absurd bros.

Somehow I ended up in Florida, California and now here I am sitting in my house, back in Chicago a decade or so later.

I guess I did get my shit together. But it didn't really hit me till today in some ways.

Holy fuck Damo I didn't know that you played MTG! And, it's great to hear from you.

You were always cordial, reasonable and fun. Glad your good.

damo suzuki wrote:I was thinking about this thread today after I had a conversation with my daughter about 401Ks. She's almost 30 years old. I didn't notice I was old too.

Honestly, I feel like stuff just happened and I did whatever I thought made sense at the time. At least as I understood things to be at that moment.

It made me think back to when I was living in the burbs working a real estate job. Passing the time making absurd jokes on a music board and downloading music off Soulseek with a few other absurd bros.

Somehow I ended up in Florida, California and now here I am sitting in my house, back in Chicago a decade or so later.

I guess I did get my shit together. But it didn't really hit me till today in some ways.

What the hell was the name of that message board you made?

John Boy Walton wrote:
What the hell was the name of that message board you made?

The Boarding Connoisseurs Club.

LOL



Now, DEEJ, that is really LOL!