Life experiences, gratitude, and synchronicities. These three main principles act as my foundation for positivity. My journey through life so far has taught me that remaining positive through any situation will lead you to incredible things in your life.
If you have interacted or consumed my content, you understand that I am a very understanding and positive person. I really try to emphasize with the other viewpoint so I can understand and frame the situation in a positive light. Being that positive light and energy has truly changed my life and helped me better the ones around me.
But, I have not always been this way.
I grew up in suburbia Cleveland in and city called Brecksville, which is known for their great schools, elite community members, and long standing ties to the Freemasons. It truly is an ideal place to grow up in. No crime, great schools, no struggles, I call it the Brecksville Bubble. Legit the biggest problem that happens in your life in Brecksville is that they spelled your name wrong on your Starbucks order.
Brecksville Road, Brecksville, Ohio
I stayed in this bubble for eighteen (18) years not really understanding the struggles of outside the bubble. This all shifted after I came home to Brecksville after my freshmen year college at Bowling Green State University (went there on a full-tuition academic scholarship).
May 16th started off like any other summer day for college returnees: enjoying the park, hanging out with friends, and drinking some beers. Around 10pm, a group of myself and three of my friends decided Taco Bell sounded amazing. My friend Dan volunteers to drive and off we go into the night, albeit rainy night.
We are driving through the windy Brecksville Reservation Park and then WHOOSH...
We hit this curve with tons of water on it and hydroplane going about 60mph spinning two full 360-degree circles before...
BAMMMMM!
We hit a tree about a basketball width in diameter.
First thing I do is scream because my knees were pushed so far into my chest it was excruciating (was in the rear left seat).
I look up and see my friend Dan's head smashed into the front windshield/driving wheel. Fuckkk he's gone. Nothing I can do. What about the other two?
I look up at the front passenger side where my best friend at the time Jeff was sitting. His head is bleeding, his white shorts and literally soaked with blood turning them crimson red. I gotta do something.
Look up see the sunroof's glass spiderwebbed and CRACK
Punched right through that bitch, grabbed my friend Jeff through the sunroof (doors were jammed couldn't get out).
The accident happened near Sleepy Hollow Golf course, which I played all the time because of my time of the golf team. I knew the course well so I noticed we were around the tee box for hole #8. I literally held up Jeff through backtracking eight holes of golf to the course parking lot where finally we were reachable. Called Jeff's mother and she showed up with the ambulance in tow.
This is where synchronicities started in come into my thoughts and influence my behavior in a positive direction.
The nurse in the ambulance was my friend Ashleigh's fiance, Nick. Told us all of us should really have died. Made sure that the time we shared made sure I didn't get any type of PSTD from the event.
The nurse is the hospital was Mrs. Wirkus, the mother one of my best friends, Steve, at the time. She is the most gentle, warm, positive person there is and just walked me through the entire process of being in the hospital, finding out my friend died, and why this could have happened.
Every since this day, my life has changed immensely. It was like the universe had enough of me not using the tools it provided me to build anything. Woke me up instantly. I noticed every little thing during the day was a miracle and I was so appreciative of it.
This life energy of positivity through life experience, gratitude, and synchronicity has rapidly developed through my twenties. I have lived in million dollar mansions on the water driving a Mercedes convertible and I have been so hungry and poor I had to push over garbage cans to get food. The universe has made sure I have developed an extreme level of empathy so I can understand why people do what they do and inspire and help them in the best way for that specific person.
This leads me to present day.
The amount of life experiences, levels of gratitude, and amount of synchronicities I have experienced has never been so high. This evidence and combined with seven years of data, market research, and experiences, I can no doubt declare all of this stems from positivity which is fostered by the universe.
I implore you to please go out and live; get some life experiences under your belt that will develop you into your true self.
Please deploy extreme levels of gratitude to whatever comes your way on a daily basis. Just know there is always someone out there worse than you. The universe blesses people with gratitude. If you don't believe me try it and see what happens :)
And lastly, do not discount the importance of synchronicities in your life. There are no such thing as a coincidence. If you believe something is a coincidence it's because you either can't connect the dots or far enough on your path of enlightenment. Harness the power of the synchronicities in your life and just watch how your life flourishes.
I hope this brought more insight into how I am so positive and how you can to.
Link about accident: http://www.cleveland19.com/story/8335403/19-year-old-killed-others-injured-in-brecksville-crash
Thank you as always for your time and attention.
Namaste
Thanks for sharing buddy, this is a very powerful story!
It reminds me of the story that Brendon Burchard tells. He narrowly survived a car accident at age 19, and it completely turned his life around. Sounds like the same thing happened to you.
I'm really sorry that you lost your friend that day. What a shock, even more so because you were living in a happy bubble at the time.
And I can relate to how a life-changing event can really change the way you live your life. I've had a burnout, had a continuous headache for almost 2 years. Affected every part of my life. Couldn't work, couldn't read anything for more than 10 mins, couldn't focus on a conversation with other people if other people were around, chatting. At the time I thought I would never recover, it was taking so long and nothing I tried seemed to work.
Eventually, I did recover. And I never want to experience something like that again. Although no medical cause was found, I know for a fact that one of the causes was not being my true self. I really closed myself off, and at the same time cared way too much about what people would think of me. I had a high paying job, one that people were impressed by. I liked that status, I cared for that admiration. But it was bs: it was very stressful, long hours, I didn't really enjoy it, I had no life and was lonely for years.
So I made the big decision to quit, after 8 years. Dropped everything, and took a plane to SE Asia. This is 4 years ago, and one of the best decisions I've ever made!
I am a much more positive person now, healthier and happier. Life isn't always easy, taking another direction comes with its own challenges. I make way less money now, for example. Life is more uncertain when you no longer live the traditional 9-5. And at the same time it's been very rewarding. Had some profound experiences, met so many new cool people, lived on a tropical island for a year (ain't nobody taking that away from me anymore!).
And I have seen some of those synchronicities that you mention in my life too. I'd like to think that if I'm steering my life in the right direction, things start to fall into place. Things start to happen. This may sound a bit vague without a specific example, but you probably know what I mean.
What my burnout has taught me is to not take life – and my health – for granted. Every morning, I say to myself: "May what I do today be for the benefit of all that cross my path." That one is inspired by Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk (supposedly the 'happiest man alive'). It does by no means make a Mother Theresa. But by setting this intention, I get into a positive mindset for the day, where I not just focus on me, but also on how I can make the lives of people I bump into that day just that tiny little bit better.
And even a marathon starts with taking that first step, right?
That is also my intention here on Steemit: be positive, interact with other positive Steemians, create quality posts, and become a valued member of this amazing community!
Thanks again for sharing @chiefmappster. And keep these posts coming!
Wow @livenowandwow thank you so much for those words. This is exactly what I was trying to inspire with this story (came deep from my soul). Stories like yours re incredible evidence that being your true self is the only way to live. And if you are not your true stuff you will suffer.
And I know exactly what you mean buddy by synchronicities it happens so much now its illogical for me not to believe. I really thank the universe you shared your story and it absolutely inspired me to keep going on my path. So thank you so much for that .
I hope one day the universe crosses our paths. One of my best friends lives in Taiwan so you never know. Namaste my friend :)
You're welcome!
I'm sure we'll bump into each other sometime, somewhere! I mean, with all this talk about synchronicities, ain't no way that's not going to happen 😉 .
ayyy exactly my friend till then :)
Hey buddy,
I would never promote my own posts in comments. But we have been going back and forth a bit with our comments, and in Discord. I really like your Positivity post.
Perhaps you would like to know a bit more about who you are communicating with?
If you do: I just published my Intro post. It's a special one for me, I really put a lot of thought and effort into it.
Yeah absolutely buddy on it. Really appreciate you reaching out
You're welcome!
@chiefmappster man.. you've overcome a lot..
What you call positive is what I call authenticity.. like a true life.
Ayy thank you buddy for those words. Appreciate you, thanks again for reading. It came from deep in my soul :)
:) Sorry for extending, but that's the spirit @chiefmappster ! Authenticity is what we need on Steemit. I'm happy to share something within these lines from @annb - a Steemian who still doesn't suspect I'm among her greatest fans here: https://steemit.com/blog/@annb/forget-your-damn-audience-daily-mantra-1
Heck yeah thank you for this info. Checkin it out now :)
Good that you've approached her. I'm adding @ocd in my list of post promotion activities as well and joined as an OCD curator. My initiative is called Steemfluencer Club and everything I feature in the Club, I'm going to suggest it to @ocd as well.
O wow thats awesome of you. Keep doing great things buddy :)
Wow @chiefmappster, that's an amazing and heartfelt story... I'm sorry you lost a friend that day, but glad you're alive to share this today.
It's an interesting thing (speaking as an "old fart" here) how often the most positive and inspiring people in life either had a close call, or technically died and came back. It changes us somehow... my wife was dead on an operating table for 11 minutes in her teens but came back and grew up to counsel people and change their lives; a friend who worked as a corporate attorney... his car spun out on a highway in a remote part of Georgia and he hung from the seatbelt, upside down with broken ribs for 7 hours before being found... now he runs healing and motivational retreats. I've met others.
I died too, a long time ago.
I don't know what happens exactly... my own experience has been that those things that used to feel like "big stuff" become small stuff, and the little stuff we used to take for granted becomes important.
We share some odd parallels... (in part why I felt motivated to write this long screed)... I was raised among the elite with country clubs and mansions, where a broken nail was the trauma of the day... I once made a lot of money, and I have also lived on a bench and collected aluminum cans to sell for money.
And it's all good! Sometimes the words come out sounding trite... and yet they are true. It is all good... these strange paths led us to exactly where we need to be.
But most of all-- and what resonates most-- is that gratitude matters. And be grateful, in the moment. Take the time-- as I did last night-- to stop and wonder at the beauty of the late evening sun's light playing across stalks of grass and blooming lavender. It doesn't cost anything to take 10 seconds, 30 seconds... to be grateful.
And watch those synchronicities!
Namaste.
Wow @reddragonfly thank you so much for those words I got goosebumps. It makes me less alone knowing that people have similar experiences and everything has worked out. For whatever reason those things were supposed to happen for the greater good.
You inspired me with your words to keep going on this path, because it sure hasn't been easy my friend. But you know this as you have dealt with it in your own life. Keep doing great things and you are absolutely right watch out for those synchronicities, that's the universes' confirmation codes you are on the right path.
Namaste my friend
Awesome story my man. I'm sorry for the losses you experienced that day, I'm glad it shaped you to be a better person. A lot of people don't view tragic accidents the same way as you. Some people spiral into a life of negativity as retaliation to the incident. It's good to hear that you've honored your friends passing by gaining a new viewpoint on life for the better. There aren't a lot of people who are positive let alone can inspire an atmosphere that other people to remain positive with. From the few times I've interacted I can tell your on a path to spread good vibes and connect good people.
I just recently lost a friend so I can understand some aspects of your pain.
Good vibes to you and everyone else!!
Thank you my brother for your words I really appreciate them. I appreciate your energy it definitely helps me on this difficult path.
I hope your own experiences in your life shape the man you become and help you inspire billions.
Namaste my brother
Thanks for the motivation
you're welcome buddy, glad I could provide some value to ya
Dude, really touching story. Thanks for sharing this with us. It motivates me to start traveling as fast as possible. Thank you :D
You're welcome buddy I really appreciate that :)
Crashing into a tree is an experience that I wouldn't wish on my wildest enemy. Im glad everything worked out!
Thank you buddy. He has definitely watched over and inspired me over the past ten years thats for sure. Thanks again for your time and attention
Your story is one inspiration. A phoenix if you will for those that may not even know they were below the ashes as to feel the want and the need to rise again a better version of themselves and with cause.
Thank you my brother really appreciate your words. Very grateful for souls in my life like yourself.
Namaste my brother
Great story. Had me on the edge of my chair. You are a fortunate, blessed man. Thank you for the inspiration. Keep it up. Thanks 🐓🐓
Wow thank you so much for your words, I really appreciate you.
And will do thank you so much for the support :)
I am sorry that you lost good friends. Hearts hurt badly under such circumstances. Take care my friend. 🐓🐓
Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it :)