Wats Good?

"Continuous effort--not strength or intelligence--is the key to unlocking potential."
-Winston Churchill

It has been a journey. That in and of itself probably best sums up my first year living in Los Angeles, CA. Its surely not my first time living away from home but it sure feels like it. Perhaps, Oregon became such a home for me that it feels more like home than Spokane ever will. I had the awesome opportunity to roll up to Oregon about a month ago and spend some good quality time with close friends and non-biological family; it was an much needed.

This past year in LA has done nothing but form and mold me into something a bit more time tested and leathered' than ever before. Just when I thought I'd experience how hard life could truly get I moved to a place where the current circumstantial state-of-being of our economy was immensely evident. Thankfully I was able to pick up a few solid jobs and despite insane levels of tiredness I was able to overcome poverty and rise to mediocrity; financially speaking.

Then I took a risk. Kind of threw my eggs in a basket of thumb tacs, said "ey...what the hell." It was like nothing I'd ever experienced. I jumped into a start-up company knees deep and ended up in shits creek without a paddle; but not without a life jacket. It was such an eye opener of what business is like in the real world; live by the gun and die by the gun. I'd been in sales before but never to such an exhaustive degree that It affected my day-to-day longevity.

After that gig went south I just kept on trucking. Thanks to tight friends and a church that cares more about the Mon-Sat than just the Sunday. It means something special to be a part of something bigger than yourself; a group of people committed to living and loving for one-another; not merely for themselves. I would lie if I said it's perfect, or that it matches my stylistic-preferences on every level. However, I would take loyalty over luxury, everyday, and twice on Sunday (no pun intended).

The blockbuster gig has been a continuous back up plan for all my day ventures. That job has provided minimal finances but was sufficient in my times of needs. It was fun being able to tell all the good looking women that I was working in the film industry, "yea...you know...I've got my hands on a lot of movies..."Although, the more attractive the less they got that joke. Hmmm....

After the start-up fallout I went to work doing some sales with a prominent local and worldwide company called AQMS Mayflower; an agent for Mayflower Transit. I got the job offer through a good friend who owns the Los Angeles Mayflower Agent and wasn't going to pass up an offer from such an entrepreneur. Through this job offer I've learned so much about how far I can push myself and learn about what's deep inside; beneath the epidermis. Sales for me has always been a lucrative profession. However, its cutthroat and often times can dismantle one from the inside out if your core, confidence, or ability is weak.

So, fall through spring is the dead season in the moving industry so I've temporarily put the day job gig on a partial hold; part-timing it throughout the drought. Thankfully, I've been able to land a sweet night job serving tables at Black Angus. I am incredibly stoked about getting back into the serving position; the money is good and the loyal customers make work a blessing in disguise. I guess the reality is that I just need to build back my finances to a position of relative strength so I can afford to take some more big risks in the near future.

I guess I say all this to say that everything I've endured in this past calender year has taught me three simple things... "dwell in the present...don't regret the past....and don't lose yourself in the future...."