Victory Lap: One Year Later

I have the unfortunate gift of remembering the dates upon which unpleasant things happen to me. I wish I could remember my credit card number, or the good idea I had a couple hours ago, or the order of my schedule tomorrow, but no--I just remember unpleasant dates, like August 10, because of what happened on that day almost exactly one year ago. 
I was lying in my bed, barely able to move because an unwelcome feeling of certainty had found its way into the pit of my stomach. For some reason, I knew. I just knew. It was over. There hadn't been a fight, a disagreement, or even a conversation. Just silence. Enough silence for me to know that, without even an explanation or a goodbye, the guy I'd been dating for several months had decided to disappear from my life.
Thinking about the details of that day and the days of the first few weeks that followed it is never a good idea, so, of course I won't go into it here. But, boy, do I remember that day. And today, I'm actually kind of glad that I do remember it. Here's why:
My life completely changed after that. I'm looking back now, a year later, and I'm grinning. Writing this post to gloat is not my intention--I'm writing this post for you, dear reader, so that you might take heart (if you've ever been in my situation) and truly know that a breakup (even with someone you thought things would work out with) is NOT the end of the bloody world.
After August 10, 2014 happened, I looked at where I was at in life, and I realized that everything needed to change. I needed to change. It wasn't that I was bad, or lazy, or stupid or anything like that. I just wasn't...enough. I wasn't enough for me. I wasn't enough for God. And not living up to my potential or believing in my better future had abruptly landed me in a very sad situation, which I knew I didn't deserve. I needed to change everything. So change everything, I did. I took off like a rocket.
You've heard bits of this story before, or maybe you haven't: travel, business, creativity, family, friends, epiphanies, blessings, improvement, momentum, excitement, advenures, God--happiness. I have it all, and I'm gunning for more, because--Why not? And it's not worth it to "settle"; it's not worth it to not strive for God's dream for you. Trust that God wants to make you happy.
I'll close by showing you where I was the night before August 10, 2015--and the only thing in my stomach then was good food and whole-hearted contenment.

(Me, posing by a stairway after a grandiose wedding in Alabang, Philippines, after having eaten a delicious dinner and watched an amazing fireworks display, August 9, 2015)

I was at this wedding on August 11, St. Philomena's feast day, by the way, which is super cool because she's the patroness of young people ;)

What Gives You the Right?

So many people these days don't do what it takes to change where they're at financially. They boldly, with no real reason other than fear or comfort, refuse to take action or accept the opportunities that come their way. They act like they have a choice. They act like things are going to just keep falling into their laps and that their parents will never stop supplying their every need.
That is DELUSIONAL. And selfish.
What gives you (and me) the right? What makes us think we have the right to reject opportunity? To avoid risk? To avoid doing necessary things that scare us? To refuse to work harder and faster and smarter?
If you're a lay person (a man especially), married or single, it's your responsibility to take advantage of opportunities and make money. Why? Because money is a real way to contribute. To your family and to people in need.
Stuff happens. People get sick, houses burn down, storms destroy villages, children are born--What are you doing to make sure you're ready?
Money gives you options. Especially if you have a lot of it. I don't want to be stuck, scratching for a dollar, when I could be somewhere else, doing something meaningful. I'm doing what I can now to build wealth because, soon, I want to have the choice to drop everything when necessary, to go and be of service to other people--instead of being too stressed with being broke to think beyond how much money I wish I had in my wallet.
Hope that made sense.