It has almost been 13 years since I decided to run my career life in a free way and not depend on my monthly salary, which I have not been in much need to. Since I started working, I have dreamed of running my own business, and I always have had that strange passion for office layouts and office furniture.
I wanted to be a football player once, and I knew I could be a good one if I had a chance. Yet my bigger dream was running my own company and having that strong impact in the business world. Although almost no one I knew directly owned their own business, I felt this was a distant goal. How can I have employees, customers, and offices, and I don’t even own a car.
While working in one of the biggest companies in Riyadh back in 2008, I had a colleague ten years older than me (who later turned out to be a customer, partner, and then a competitor). He seemed to have that massive multinational experience and worked with different industries, talked to hundreds of customers, and managed to have that elite position in my company. He liked what I was doing in the projects he managed, so he urged me to start a freelancer job a couple of times. “The market needs your experience,” he said, “you will be a successful, sure thing.”
What he was saying was ultimately the opposite of what I was feeling. No customers were begging me to accomplish freelancing jobs, and I wasn’t sure why I thought I’d be successful. I was not paying attention, though he kept saying it again & again whenever we met.
Connecting the dots backward and looking at my 13 years journey (and continuing), I’m now blaming myself for every second I wasted assuming that I can’t do what I wanted to do all my life.
Whatever you consider success is, it’s closer than you think. There is a hidden power in humanity where it takes you anywhere you want. Simple recipe; mix learning what you are passionate about with repeating that automatically (habits), and you will see what that hidden power would do to you. After you gain knowledge, construct a pattern of performing your understanding to do what you desire, and you will see where the compounding effect of habits will take you. I bet to a place you never dreamed of.
JG
I agree that believing in yourself and, in other words, in your own possibilities, abilities and limitations is the basis for a life of fulfilment. And I agree that the environment, i.e. the family first, then other important people outside the family, will foster our self-confidence or only confirm what we heard about ourselves in the family home. It seems simple, predictable – and in life like in the movies – there are various twists and turns. How to explain the fact that some people manage to live in harmony and others give up in various ways – falling into addictions, closing themselves in their homes and etc.
I don’t use the word success on purpose – what is it and how is it measurable? If I can buy bread and give it to my family, is it a success? Do I need a private driver and etc. to call it success? I have such personal experience from the hospital of the oncology ward – I sat on the bed – there were other people on other hospital beds next to it – a woman living on a cow farm, a shop assistant, the wife of a wealthy entrepreneur … we needed so little then – never before or after I felt to be so much a human being who, regardless of everything, needed a cordial conversation, hugs and support that we will see each other again … And it was a success for me, which still continues – to be an entrepreneur of my life and to produce for myself and others all around cordiality and kindness.
And when a homeless person asks you for coffee and a croissant at a train station – it might be your personal success to be invaluable and share a cup of coffee. Simple but difficult. Live your life as much as you can, ask for help when needed, give help when needed, share when needed, believe that you are not alone and look for others who can share your joy and sadness – its my recipe. No code. Sorry.
What I have been missing for most of my life, and I don't want you to miss - Lifebreakthrough | Personal Blog by Amer Atiyah
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