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For years, I walked a path that represented success for many. As a systems engineer, I had built a full, prosperous life. Each project culminated with job recognition as pieces of a completed puzzle. I raised a family, secured a decent roof over my head, provided quality education to my children, and even extended a helping hand to family and friends in need. Everything seemed in place, but a sense of emptiness overshadowed me.
One day I decided to face myself. I recognized that this emptiness could not be filled with more work or the material achievements I had reaped. I thought the answers lay in religion. I took a long walk through several and yet the restlessness remained intact. Desperation led me to make a radical decision: I quit my job, abandoned everything that kept me tied down, and embarked on a journey into the unknown, searching for that missing piece.
The road was not easy. The resignation had repercussions on the marriage, and divorce became inevitable. It was a hard blow, but I was determined to continue my search and left my country, thinking that new lands would help me. I met a wonderful woman who gave me back the desire to start over. For a while, I thought I had found the answer, but fate played a cruel trick on me: she passed away, and with her departure, I felt that the world fell apart once again.
I decided to return to my country seeking comfort in my homeland, but the absence of my beloved was combined with the pain of losing two of my brothers. It seemed that life had nothing more to offer me, but amid adversity, a small light began to appear. It was then that I discovered HIVE. On the platform, I saw how users shared their stories, ideas, and creations. There I felt a sense of refuge. I decided to try my luck writing.
At first, my texts were shy, but as the words flowed, I discovered something that had remained hidden since I was a child: I loved to write. The suspenseful stories and tales that sprang from my mind filled me with a satisfaction I had not experienced before. Publishing in HIVE became my new passion, a channel to express my thoughts and emotions, but I needed more.
Then a new world appeared. While designing a cover using CANVA, I felt something unique. Each design, each combination of colors and shapes transported me to a universe where everything was possible. It was as if creativity took the reins, pushing worries away. That feeling of fulfillment convinced me that I was on the path I had been looking for.
One day, in a webinar organized by a group of European designers, I received surprising news: I won a scholarship to design using CANVA, marketing, and social networks. At over 50 years old, that was a milestone that filled me with enthusiasm. I threw myself completely into my studies, leaving behind any prejudice about age and proving that learning has no limits.
But the surprises didn't end there. Just six months later, I won another scholarship, this time to learn SEO (Search Engine Optimization), a field I barely knew, but according to what I had heard, it promised to be a powerful tool to transform my life. The scholarship included a laptop, a gift that symbolized a new opportunity to rebuild my future.
Today, a week into my SEO training, I am more motivated than ever. Every day is one more step towards a purpose that, at last, seems to be clear. I discovered that my mission is not only to write or design but also to inspire others to seek what fills their souls, regardless of apparent barriers of age or circumstance. I am convinced that I must create content touching on that theme.
From that emptiness that tormented me, an unshakable certainty emerged, the universe always conspired in my favor, for not stopping searching, for persevering that there was something somewhere that was for me. With the enthusiasm of a young man in love, I gave myself completely to this new chapter of my life, where I know that the rewards are yet to come. It is always possible to reinvent oneself, there is always a new goal to reach, and always, always we must not stop dreaming.
All rights reserved. © Copyright 2024 Germán Andrade G.
Own images edited using CANVA.
Caracas, November 19, 2024
It is my responsibility to share with you that, as a Spanish speaker, I have had to resort to the translator Deepl to translate my original Spanish content into English. I also state that I have used the grammar-checking tool Grammarly.
