Do you ever ask yourself why you're here?
Do you stop to think about your purpose?
Who do you surround yourself with?
Heavy stuff, I know… but it’s important that we think about it and not push it aside, just hoping for the best. We must pay attention and take action…
See, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I want to share with you a realization I had that changed my life.
I think that we're here on planet earth to grow.
What I mean is that all around us is pain and suffering. We have inner turmoil. Life is hard, right?
So I think that all of this pain causes us to turn into real people. To grow into the people we’re supposed to be.
How do I know?
Because I lived it.
The old Preston…
So, I started rebelling when I was a teenager—doing drugs and partying—I wanted to go have a good time so I did that, for quite a while…
And it ruined my life.
I lost everything you can think of: I lost houses, I went bankrupt, I lost friends and relationships…
See, I was in denial about life—and I tried to cover it up with drugs and sports and sex (yep, I said it)… I went numb. I couldn’t even feel anymore.
I was at the end of my rope…
It took me hitting the bottom to get myself straight. (I’m sharing this with you to help you avoid hitting rock bottom.)
And when I reached the bottom, it was dark… I knew I was going to end up in jail or worse. If you know me at all, you know that I’m now a religious guy… so I prayed while taking a hard, painful look at where I was in my life.
My lifestyle was no good. My habits were no good. The people I hung out with were no good… I’m talking about some shady characters.
After lots of introspection and examining my life… I began surrounding myself with the right people… positive, thoughtful, good people.
I felt their love. They helped me be better. And grow.
And I realized this isn’t about me—it’s about giving to others. It’s about having compassion for others. It’s about taking ownership and responsibility for my actions and my life.
And I got rid of those bad habits—the drugs and mishandled finances and bad influences—and replaced them with positivity.
I began giving more of myself to others…
And through all of this, I grew.
I became smarter, stronger, compassionate. My eyes opened. I clicked. (No, I haven’t lost it. I wrote an eye-opening lesson on ‘the click’ that you should most definitely read. Like now.)
Where are you?
So I want you to look at where you are—where are you dark?
Examine your darkness.
Once you’ve identified those negativities, change them.
It’ll be hard for sure. But through hardship—as I’ve personally experienced—comes growth. Growth so you can be the best you in life and in business.
It happened for me and it’s amazing.
So I say you are here to grow…
And my next question to you is: Are you ready to grow to become the best version of you?
Care to share?
How do you get back up when life’s got you down? How do you grow, professionally and personally? Share with us in the comments section below.
Surround yourself with positive people. (Personally, I found these great people in my church.)
Take stock of the negativities in your life and get rid of them.
Push away your darkness to experience growth.
Preston Ely
is a real estate investor, serial entrepreneur, life coach, musician and philanthropist. CEO of Real Freedom, Inc, one of the most influential internet-based information publishers in the world, owns the largest Anytime Fitness Gym in the United States, is recording a music album with Atlantic Records, sits on the board of Advocates Of Love Orphanage, and has a non-profit charity assisting the poor and oppressed in Cuba with both their physical and spiritual needs.
With over 200,000 subscribers to his email newsletter, he is rapidly fulfilling his mission on earth, which is to glorify God by setting people physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually free through his music and his message of FREEDOM. Preston is 37 years old, lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Ashley, where he spends most of his time reading, writing, and practicing mixed martial arts.