I’m still dealing with a lot of brain fog, and I’m finding it hard to express myself properly. But, that’s only one half of the issue. The other half is – I’m genuinely having a hard time even understanding what it is I’m feeling right now.
I always knew that becoming an entrepreneur would be a life-changing experience, and that’s to be expected, right? There’s a lot of freedom that comes with it, but also risk and even lack of security at times. And I was prepared for that. What I wasn’t prepared for, was how running a company like this would force me to literally LEVEL UP.
With a company like this, there’s a level of responsibility and precision that is necessary for success. And if you call yourself a good person, you must consider the sheer weight and gravity that comes along with creating products like these. There were so many nights of simply staring at the ceiling and thinking, contemplating, working through issues, working through fears, fighting with friends, fighting with @Fire , because we all want to be good people, who help other good people grow.
Nonetheless, the weight was crushing at times. We have triumphed, we have failed. We have laughed, we have cried, we have begun to see and understand things we never thought were possible. But, through all those trials and tribulations, the successes and the failures, there were two things that kept us moving forward over and over again.
First – hope. The hope that everyone – including ourselves – are here for a reason, and if one simply pays attention, the life process itself will lead us to exactly where we need to be.
And second, but just as equally important: All of you.
Every time we see a post where someone has overcome some obstacle that held them back, we celebrate. While we have taken this role of “non-interference,” and keep a certain distance, rest assured – when you grow, we grow. It has been amazing to interact with so many diverse and intelligent people from all around the globe, and even better, watch you all interact with each other. In my idealized mind, I’d like to think of this forum as a microcosm of what life could be like if we all dropped all of our differences – even just for a little bit – to work toward some common goal. And from that perspective, we recognized that if we were to attempt such a thing, we could not sit back and rest – we had to engage in just as much self-growth as our customers.
And through your life stories, experiences, feedback, suggestions, jokes, comments, clashes, debates, tears, frustrations – that is exactly what has happened. We grew.
And here we stand now – I cannot speak for @Fire, but I am sure he agrees – that we stand here now wiser and more equipped to deal with this world. Through running this company, I have developed an inner wisdom that has enriched my life in ways I cannot explain, and I can only extend my deepest thanks to all of you for your support, your willingness to be vulnerable and discuss things, your willingness to help others grow.
There was a post not too long ago from someone who had never been on the forum before. They were asking the usual types of questions, and I put it on my task list. By the time I returned, the community had responded with such positive and helpful force that I barely even needed to opine. Real people, helping each other grow in a meaningful fashion.
A man cannot ask for anything greater. And that is what I am thankful for. We hope you all have the best of holidays, wherever you are on this planet and regardless of who you are.
) I would still give thanks to fire and saint years down the line for helping me kick trazadone.