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Dream. That’s what you do.
Or at least it’s what I did.
I was always one for imagining myself at the top of the world, looking down at everyone, giving away 75% of all my plundered earnings to the poor from the bum-fight at the top. I always wanted to be someone but didn’t have a clue how to be anyone at all.
I was sold a myth as a kid. Good things come to those that have patience. That’s only half of the problem. The other half is recognising that a great deal of elbow grease needs to be put in to whatever it is that I’m trying to accomplish. I was the king of the wait, the ever-dreamer of dreams, but whenever it came to action my confidence was low and familiar territory was so much easier to deal with than the unknown.
My Dad was someone. When he died I saw some of his payslips and he was earning 6 figures for the work he was doing, but he never imparted any of that knowledge onto me. I was surrounded by a family of Doctors, Teachers and Professionals, and there was me, lowly Raymond, with my can of lager and shit job that paid minimum wage. Quite honestly, it sucked to be me because my family had high hopes for me and all I did was fuck it all up. I was like the black sheep of the family; the kid that was patted on the head by the rest of his family and told, “there, there, at least you’re trying.” To be fair I had given up before I had began.
I was in the Scottish international golf team for the under 14’s. Yeah, I fucked that one up. Beer, women, late teenage years, bad influences for friends.. you know how the story goes by now.
I had a gateway into a prestigious University; my Dad said all I needed to do was pass my college course and he’d pull some strings. I didn’t turn up for the final 6 months of that year to class.
Damn, I was even given an in-way at Dads previous place of work but I never handed in my application form. It was almost like I was purposely doing this to myself and I had no clue why.
So when I had reached my tether, I mean truly sat at the end of my bed in tears; when I had so many dreams for my life, but none had came to pass or even came close to achieving any of them, it was quite heartbreaking. I felt as if my life was passing me by but there was so much more to this existence and I knew it.
That week I lost my job too. After a night sobbing with no internet, no phone, on my own, and no electric, I remember going in and hearing I was being let go. Talk about a kick in the teeth, right? What do you do when the world loves you no more? Just when I thought the monkey’s ass was empty it was able to pull out another large one and throw it at my face.
Splat.
I gave up. I decided that I was going to let the world rule me rather than me try and rule the world. Poor me, you know? Life was cruel and I had been the butt end of its jokes for many years now. My friends laughed at me, my job had given up on me, even my own mother had momentarily lost interest as she travelled the globe with her new man.
WHY ME?
FUCK.
Believe it or not that’s one of the core essential traits to changing and growing for the better; giving up. You see I was ready to listen now. I had had enough of steamrolling through life thinking that my knowledge was the best ever and no-one else had a clue. Perhaps this was why I was jobless and friendless and most of my family were happily married and in very well respected jobs? Maybe they did know something after all. Maybe I should start listening to the have’s rather than myself who is clearly a have not.
My life changed after that.
First thing I did was give up alcohol because that stuff just rots your mind. It wasn’t easy but the day after I had given up I made good friends with an ex alcoholic that had been clean for a year. This choice saved my life in essence because he was super supportive.
After I gave up the drink I realised that there was something seriously missing from my life and it’s what I had been using the alcohol to mask — love. I had always been looking for love in a partner in the past but there was something inside me that made me want to stay away from women for the time being; that I had some unfinished business with myself. I needed to learn to love myself
I began to grow as a person too; I learned small goals. I completed daily tasks that fed into the larger goals and in time I made it to my supreme goals — like become a Project Manager. In the past I was always wanting to go from 0-100 in 3 seconds, but it’s the journey that’s the important part, you know?
It’s the people you meet along the way and the lessons that you learn.
Yeah. I kicked life’s arse eventually.
Oh! And I got married. Did I tell you that? Yep. Going on our 10th year together now and still super happy!
And we had a lovely kid. Yeah, my Sons name is Alex and he’s a mini me. He’s also the most awesome boy on the planet.
So what do you do when you’re an alcoholic and have zero life prospects?
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