Not every moment of my life has been one of knowing who I was, what I was meant to do, or how to live a fulfilled life. It has been a journey. I’ve been and done a lot of things in my life that have given me a unique perspective and led me here.

I was a young single father, who had a son when I was 20 years old. I struggled to make ends meet with no education or skills. I worked hard to make the best life I could for my son and I. I made a lot of hard choices and plenty of mistakes.

I started a woodworking business that I ran for 8 years. I bought a house and built a stable life for myself and my son. As much as I enjoyed my work, I never really felt like that was what I was meant to do or that was the best contribution I could make to the world.

In 2008, the Great Recession hit, and my business failed. I lost everything and found myself starting over from zero. I was both desperate and, for the first time in my adult life, free. I had nothing holding me back from pursuing my dreams.

But what were my dreams?

I explored acting, and teaching myself to write, I spent several years bartending. I learned to drive a forklift, to ride, and build motorcycles. I began to explore and appreciate life in ways I never had before.

Self-development and learning have been constants in my life. Whenever I needed to learn something, I found a way. All of my hardships and challenges taught me. Study brings knowledge, and experience brings wisdom; my life has been full of both.

Another constant in my life is my desire to help people. It’s my passion. Life should be joyful and beautiful, no matter what you do. My many challenges have taught me how to find joy no matter what, and I love sharing that with others. That is the power of living an authentic life; it inspires other people to live better lives themselves!

My life is amazing, and I believe yours can be, too. Most of us weren’t taught how to find purpose or be happy growing up. Along the way, many of us forget how, but with a little guidance, I believe everyone can build a life to celebrate.