This is the story about myself and the title, “Dream Bigger, Don’t Stand in Your Own Way”! The story of how my life has been a series of incidents of me getting in my own way. Failing to take action to ensure my well-being So I hope you can learn a little bit as I go through this exercise of self-reflection. How I succeeded and how awesome it felt, where I went wrong, and how it affected my life. I was left holding the pieces to attempt another go at this game called life.
In The Beginning
I was born in Los Angeles, CA, on March 7th, 1967, and my mom said to my dad right after I was born, “Look at him; he is already thinking, What’s Next?” That was how I lived my life growing up in the Seattle area and into college at Washington State University.
I bounced around after college and ended up in the Army with the 82nd Airborne, jumping out of planes. From C-130’s, C-141’s, Chinook and Blackhawk Helicopters and even a hot-air balloon in Belgium. Then I went to work for North American Van Lines, driving a big rig across the United States and Canada. Moving people from house to house. This was invigorating, and I thrived at it, owning several trucks with drivers paying me a percent of their line haul for rental.
I Settle into Real Estate:
After doing this for a couple of years, my cousin’s realtor, Barbara, told me I would be good at Real Estate. That is how I became a Realtor in Winchester, VA, living on 25 acres with a house I had built. I was good at it because it was a series of short relationships, and then I went to another one and another. Each one has different challenges than the last. The parties changed, but the adventure stayed the same and was exciting because the name of the game was Always Get It Sold. I could market the property and sell it; the best part was that it was a challenge every time.
Dear John……
My first Dream Bigger, Don’t Stand in Your Own Way! During this time of self-discovery, I did get married right out of college to a local girl from a small town. She was older than I was, and she had three small kids. I think I married the kids, not the mother. Back from Basic Training, Advanced Infantry Training (AIT), and the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP). I was going to meet my unit in one week, and unbeknownst to me, we conceived a beautiful baby girl.
My wife then refused to come with me to Italy with the kids. She divorced me soon after, while I was still in Iraq. Dear John……… It was a difficult time, as this was my first truly big disappointment in my life. It turns out that it won’t be my last. But I had a big win in my life, which was my daughter’s birth, so in the end I won, but it did not feel like it at the time.
Who I Was Before the Dream Became a Reality:
Anyway, this was the beginning of the rise and fall of my life to date. You see, since the beginning of my life, up until that moment, I had been leading a life of experimentation, trying new jobs until I found my niche. I thought I had found it in Real Estate. This is where the story truly begins—its rise and fall again and again, and yes, again. I ended up failing, losing everything and almost everyone. But I rose from the ashes, and we shall see.
The next time a Dream Bigger, Don’t Stand in Your Own Way! was the town of Winchester, VA. In 2001, I had just gotten my Real Estate license, and I went to work for a small company. One year later, I was the majority owner of a Real Estate Company Franchise. I went from that to selling the franchise three years later and making a lot of money. Then I opened Where’s Waldo Realty in 2005 as a small team-style business.
Another One Bites the Dust:
I got married to a doctor, and my mom was so proud. We had been married for 10 years when the depression hit, and we had a disagreement on how to make more money. She decided to play an online game, which consumed her. I played for a while but lost interest; she kept on playing. I was dreaming up ways we could make more money, but she was not interested. Dream Bigger; Don’t Stand in Your Own Way! bit me again. I ended up getting divorced, but I had my job as Broker/Owner working at Team Waldo Realty, and that kept me going during that dark time.
Myrtle Beach, SC Here I Come:
I started dating this gal, and work was going great. I gave her a job at the company, and everything became tense. Of course, I didn’t pick up on it until it was to late. We were making good money, I had a national account with Fannie Mae, and I was on a number of charity boards. I was on my way. The ladies in the office and my girlfriend could not work together without friction. Then I noticed that there was a problem, but it was already to late. One of my agents left to work for some other agency, and the others were looking.
So instead of doing what my common sense said, which was to get rid of the girlfriend, I went in another direction. I sold my business to the largest competitor in town; we both got our Real Estate licenses in South Carolina, and we moved to Myrtle Beach. This was a huge mistake, and I regret it to this day, but it was new and exciting, so we are off to the races. So Dream Bigger; Don’t Stand in Your Own Way! Think about it, Andy. The signs were all there, and they got me in the end. Read more if you want to know how.
My Dream Bigger is Put on Hold:
I am with the same girl, and we bought a house in Surfside Beach, SC, for cash. We found another franchise that was in trouble and needed some leadership. So we bought into it for a majority share and went to work. We worked on it for about a year, and it thrived. We had 165 Realtors in the Myrtle Beach area, and we were making a name for ourselves. She was running the day-to-day activities. I was handling all of the broker duties for SC and NC now that we had branched out.
Then, as we had grown, I had grown quite large as well. I tipped the scales at 288 at my heaviest, and at 6 feet, I was an impressive man, yikes. I had been taking blood pressure medication and some for diabetes, but I was in the middle of doctors and not really worried. Because I had so much work to do, I didn’t think much about it. Man, oh man, that was a mistake. Oh no, I feel the saying coming on: Dream Bigger, Dream Bigger, Don’t Stand in Your Own Way!
Heart Attack:
One morning, I went to put some air in my tire before work. I could not stand up after squatting down with the air hose in my hand. I made it into my car, went home, and called into work. I told my girlfriend what had happened and that I was going to rest for a bit and be back later. Around 3 p.m., I called my girlfriend and told her I was feeling terrible. I thought I should go to the emergency room. I had been really sick before, and I never entertained the idea of going to the Emergency Room even once. So something was going on with me. She rushed home and drove me to the Hospital.
You know how normally you have to sit in the waiting room for hours before you get admitted. I guess I looked bad enough that a nurse came out. Took some vitals and then put me in a wheelchair. I was in front of a doctor in 3 minutes. He told me I was having a heart attack. I guess the rest of it was a bit of a blur to me.
I went for an echocardiogram, and they told me I had a widowmaker. 96% Blockage in my Main Valve that supplies my heart with blood. I was moved to a Hospital in Charleston, SC, where they performed a double bypass. That is where they pull an artery from the inside of your thigh and your chest to graft it into position for your heart to get a new supply of blood.
Recovery is Tough:
A week later, I was released and went back home to start the long road to recovery. She went to work, and I was left with a lot of time on my hands. I started to look at the operations side of the business on and off until I noticed something. It’s where I learned that it was not as smooth as I had believed. There was to much money going out for the NC side of the business. She had failed to get approval for our Surfside, SC, location from Corporate. Also, of 220 agents total, I found that 23 of them were obvious forgeries for inflated numbers so she could get awards. Dream Bigger; Don’t Stand in Your Own Way! Even after we were bought out and we moved back to Virginia, I stayed with her for some inexplicable reason.
It is frustrating when I look back on it. How could I stay in such an unhealthy relationship that costs me so much, both professionally and personally? All the signs were there, but I refused to see them and followed through by running away. She got me really bad in the end; continue reading to see how.
Stroke? He Just had a Heart Attack:
So we are now living in Richmond, VA, and I am commuting to Newport News, VA, for work. It is a long way to drive there and home every day. I am a managing broker for a large company with nine offices in the area. I’m managing about 85 agents and having a great time. The dream is starting to take hold again. I am losing weight at a fast rate and taking better care of myself. I have revamped their file system, and it is working smoothly and is completely online.
I am interviewing an agent to join us when, all of a sudden, I cannot talk straight. The lady I’m interviewing is a nurse at her other job, and she quickly recommends that I go to the hospital. I pick up my coat, walk to my car, and somehow make it to the hospital. I do not remember the drive, which is scary. I walk in, and that is it; I go into full stroke mode right in front of the check-in desk.
I am transferred to Hampton Hospital, and a specialist comes in to see me. She talks about my injury with me, and I stay there for a week. Then they transferred me to Williamsburg VA Rehab Hospital for 10 days, where I learned how to walk, talk, and use my right arm all over again. During this time, I was scared that I would never be a functioning adult again. I was not responding to therapy, and I was in a deep depression.
Unhealthy, Drop Him Off:
My relationship is already stained and will get worse when I get home. She feels guilty because of the stroke and how it has changed me over the last year without us knowing it. I have changed because of the stroke as well, becoming short-tempered, which the doctor said might happen. I have begun to say exactly what I feel, and that is no good based on our current relationship.
She has had it, we are shopping one day, and she loses it on me in the store. It is unsettling, to say the least, because I don’t know why she is acting this way. I was not a part of the conversations about my extreme blunt behavior and short temper with the doctor, which turned out to be a problem. When she told me I had been treating her this way, I said I would work on it, It was to late. It is a behavior I did not notice, so it was shocking to me, but it is not enough. I found out how shocking it was the next day.
I spent the night on the couch, and the next day she dropped me off at the Ashland Rehab Clinic. Which was basically a Retirement Home For The Insane and Unwanted. It was very scary, and since I had no funds left. With all the money going towards my treatment and no insurance except Medicaid, I was now at the mercy of the government. Dream Bigger, Don’t Stand in Your Own Way! was implemented into my life again.
My Journey took 4 years:
So looking back on the nine years I spent with this woman, it wasn’t all bad. We definitely had some great times, but overall, it was pretty horrible. I was a resident at the Ashland Rehabilitation Facility for only 3 weeks. Then I was transferred to the Sitter & Barefoot Veterans Rehabilitation Clinic in Richmond, VA. I spent the next nine months living in this Retirement Home/Rehabilitation Clinic. As a 52-year-old invalid, I was one of the youngest people there.
I spent 8 months at this much nicer, better managed, and more helpful place. Most of the guys in there are lifers. So I hear some great stories about the old days. I get rehab four times a week, then COVID-19 hits. We were all put in our rooms and not allowed to leave them, It was a tough time to live in a Rehab Clinic.
About 30 days later, I receive my early Social Security, so I get an apartment in town. I moved to my own place with my clothes and the computer that I had just bought. I had been in this place with a Bed, TV, Couch, and Computer for 2.5 years. During this time, I am losing weight, a lot of weight.
2.5 Years, It was Comma-Like:
September of 2022 I woke up from this Brain fog is the best way to explain it. Just one day ago, I woke up to the life that I am living now. It wasn’t a dream; it was very real. I was at the bottom of the barrel with no money, friends, car, or driver’s license. My passport has expired. I have my passport but not my driver’s license. She must have thrown that away too. I paid my bills on time, and as soon as I received the money, I sent it out. I have $200 left for food and Netflix. I was now at another crossroads in my life. Dream Bigger; Don’t Stand in Your Own Way!
The Fog has Been Lifted:
I woke up, and I wanted to go find a job. I wanted to experience travel and different cultures again. It was as if I had woken up from a long, bad dream. Remember, when I started this journey, I had been 283 LBS, today I was 220 LBS. I began to think that this was a do-over for my life. I’ve got at least 30 years of good life to live, so why waste it sitting and waiting to die? Which I had been doing for the 4 years prior while suffering from brain fog.
My Real Estate license expired in five states; however, I was never going to go back to that way of life. With all the stress it caused, I am lucky to be alive. I saw the ad online about working from home at your own speed. I said to myself, “You can be afraid it is a scam, or you can try it out and hope for the best”. So far, so good. I have this job where I write a blog about these cool items. That are, in some cases, cutting-edge for today’s market, with a Company called RRR247. I get to use them. then write about them; it is truly awesome.
Now you’re all caught up on the ups and downs of your true life. The next evolution of my life is about to begin. Someone in my Real Estate career taught me this exercise of setting 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year goals. I got another version of it when I started with RRR247.
Where I See Myself in a Year of Dream Bigger:
Since my business is my life, I have to dive in and make it my own. I blog to generate positive cash flow. I’m starting to get healthier and healthier, which is giving me more time to complete this task. I have only scratched the surface of all of the small incomes that are a part of this system. So at the end of the year, I should have the entire blog up and running and all of the advertising firmly in place. I have VMarketing established, and I am bringing in three new students a week.
Ok, I have to leave my apartment in 12 months, around July 15th, 2024. I am not sure where I would like to go. Albuquerque, NM, is inexpensive; I must possibly go farther west or south. What about Las Cruces, NM, or Tucson, AZ, where there are no time changes? Either way, I need to make up my mind, which requires me to start making money. I have to start making some pretty soon. I know Las Vegas, NV.
Starting Good Habits:
I have made going to the gym a habit. This is probably the easiest thing to accomplish, but it is always the hardest for me to do. I am losing weight, and I will need a gym with a trainer. Not just to feel good and look good, but for my health. Health is now important to me if I’m going to last another 30 or 40 years. Rehab is part of the gym, and I’ll be doing it again with a trainer.
So by this time next year, some very important things will have happened for me. I will be making a respectable income a month. On top of my Social Security through the implantation of all of the Anchors, VMarketing, Blogging outside of the box. I have reached 200 lbs. and I am going to the gym four times a week. Have a personal trainer do rehab twice a week.
I have begun to date again, which is not easy but is fulfilling. It has been 4 years since I have gone on one of these, and I am going to take it slow. Dream Bigger is Becoming Real.
Where I see myself in 3 years of Dream Bigger:
I am adding 3 people to VMarketing a week. This has been the easiest part of the transition. It has taken the most time and effort; however, it has been the easiest for me because I am not afraid of rejection. But it has also been the most difficult because I am not sure of the responses I will have. I will constantly learn new techniques to communicate with the public.
In my quest to find a new place, it has to have reliable internet. That means a fairly large population base. I’ve thought about going north of San Diego, CA, but that is pretty expensive. South of San Francisco, CA, but that is also quite expensive. Maybe somewhere around Eureka, CA, would be nice. I’ll have to go exploring, fun.
I took my first, second, and third vacations to some exciting and wild places while helping to set up the New Education Program. I really do think this education program will change the world we live in. It will need a bunch of champions, however. Those are my thoughts, anyway.
I continue with the toning and feel good working out. My rehab is down to only once a week, and I am getting back to using my right side. I am going to intensify the training, however. Working harder than ever on getting into great shape.
Where I see Myself in 5 Years of Dream Bigger:
The Dream Bigger is realized. Having attained a major milestone in my life monthly is wonderful. It provides me with the funds I need to travel around the world to promote our Learning and Education Program while having fun wherever I go.
I see a trainer three times a week, but I’m doing a lot of traveling right now. With the Learning & Education program and my love of seeing new places and new cultures, I’m constantly on the go. Hopefully, I will find a woman who loves me and shares my love of travel. It might be a dream, but one can hope.
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