School was boring..
When I was 17 years old, I dropped out of High school. - In my second year. I studied to become an Electrician. - I hated school and I felt ever since I went in 5th grade that it wasn't meant for me. Sure, like any 10 or 11 year old, I loved the recess.
I was popular in school. I was never bullied or anything like that. I had a bunch of friends & the teachers liked me. However, there was one thing I didn't have in common with the rest of my classmates. - I hated school. It was boring..
I live in Sweden and its mandatory to stay in School all the way up to 9th grade. - So I stayed in school but during that time I often did whatever I felt like doing and that was obviously almost never what the teachers told me to do.
I finished 9th grade and I was free. - I would never go to school again. Not for a single minute.
During the summer I, for some reason I actually don't know, came to the conclusion that I would continue. I decided to finish School. I would continue to study so I could become an Electrician. - Sounds kind of cool. Hey wait a minute.. Math?! - No thank you!
- I hate math. Don't take me wrong on this. I know how to count.. But math is just.. Wow. Not for me.
Anyhow..
I started to do exactly the same things I did previously. I did what I wanted to. - And that didn't include homework or sitting in a classroom 8 hours per day reading a bunch of crap. For me, it meant breaks. All day long. - I spent the time in School with the "cool guys". The few people who were like-minded.
We told others what to do. Not the other way around. - Not that we were some "bad boys" or hooligans. We just didn't cared about anything anyone said. - I spent my time in School by smoking cigarettes and daydreaming. This continued to the second year in High school..
One day, during my second year in high school, it just came to me.. Enough is enough. - So I quit. I became a High school dropout.
Counter-strike here I come!!
I spent the next 9 months at home. Playing Counter-strike. The best game ever. I was actually a "semi-elite" back in the days and I've been on LAN events and played in tournaments and things like that. Kind of awesome actually. Anyhow, 9 months later I got a job. - As an intern.
I started to work a 9-5 job.. 5 days a week.. For free. Interns doesn't get paid. Well, we get something "more valuable than money" according to the boss I had. "We get experience so we could get a job easier in the future". - Pure BS.
It took me about 3 weeks until I became an "equal". Until I became "one of them" so to speak. That's 15 days of hard work, 9-5, for a 17 year old..
I went from an intern, working 9-5 for 3 months to an employee. - I got some extra hours to begin with. Mostly weekends. - Thanks a lot. I missed a bunch of parties due to that!
I worked another 3 months and got "promoted". I worked my way up the ladder. First of all, I started to work 9-5 again, 5 days a week. Every other week I worked weekends. - So, doing this before I turned 18 was quite amazing for me. - From a dropout to a employee with a 9-5 job. None of my friends had that. All of them stayed in school and finished high school.
So.. I had money. And none of my friends had that.. What was I supposed to do? - Stop partying?
- I paid for my friends. Almost everytime we partied.
I was living my life and..
I got myself an apartment at the age of 19. I got evicted only 2 months after moving in.. You know why? - Due to a huge party. - I moved back home again and by now, I also got fired from work.
This was the first job I lost. Also the hardest one to lose as I had worked hard to get it. - I've lost more jobs than I can count of my fingers. Most of them bullshit sales jobs.
However, due to my experience and because I am who I am.. I turned this into something useful.
The first times I lost jobs and life was against me I often ended up blaiming myself. I hated my life and myself for being stupid, not good enough and all that crap. Like most people when life is hard on them.. but I did it a bit too much.
When I was 19, during this hard time, I also lost a friend. A second one. She took her life by an overdose.. - I've lost 3 friends in total until now. All of them killed themselves. - That feels awful.. Especially as it could have been me. I could have done that too, but I didn't. I thought about my parents. I thought about my family. I thought about my friends. I couldn't be that selfish and leave everyone with grief.
One of them killed himself at home. He locked the door and never came out again. He took a bunch of pills and alcohol.. And never woke up again. That happened when I was 16. When I was 27 my father died in front of me. His heart stopped. Now, when I'm 30.. I lost another friend..
People around me disappears. They end up dead.. And sure, that might sound like a true "mobster" thing, but I have nothing to do with any of that. I've never used drugs. Not more than alcohol and cigarettes. I'm not into coke or anything like that. I would never do something like that. I think it's stupid, but hey, you do what you want.
During the time all of these things happened, and especially during the time I was still so young. Around 18-20 or so, I started to see things from another perspective. I started to look at myself with different eyes.
Am I going to live my life and work on a 9-5 job for a greedy boss who thinks about himself and his company alone... And be able to.. What?.. Get married and have kids..? - And then die? - No thank you. That's not me.
- I want to do more than that. I want to do things people will remember. I don't want immense fame or glory, but I would like to be remembered.. Remembered for being me and for being different. I don't stay in the pack and I'm not a leader. I'm an "outcast" by choice.
I choose to do things different. I choose to be me. I choose. This is my life.
The years went by.. Like the jobs & friends..
And suddenly, I woke up as a 23 year old. - I found something really cool.
I read an amazing story online about a "super internet marketer". He had just bought his second "playboy mansion" and he owned like 15 different cars. Ferarri's and lamborghini's. - And it was obviously true, because he had pictures of it.... (Wow, how stupid one can be!)
- Anyhow, due to this pure BS story, I started to do various things myself online. - When I finally got my first payment of a dollar or two, I went nuts. I made it! - I truly made it. I can do this! - So I continued to work online, part time.
In Jun 18, 2012, I found SEOClerks for the first time. - I got hooked immediately. I knew that this was going to be my new home. The place I would be able to earn some real money.
I started to work full time almost immediately. I also expand my business so I had clients outside of SEOClerks. I had managed to get personal clients. Many of them are still with me today. Unfortunately, this was the year my father passed away. He passed away later that year and as I've mentioned several times before, I suffer from panic anxiety amongst other things since that day.. So for me, working as a full time internet marketer is the best option. It's the perfect solution for me. - So, it's simple. I continue to work with what I love.
During 2016, about 2 months ago, I found another home. A new home. My second home. - I found steemit.
My journey on steemit has been great and I'm truly thankful for this opportunity. - I've worked myself up the ladder and I've managed to reach a reputation of 63. I've published more than 1000 posts and I have more than 220 followers.
And truth to be told, I do believe that I create decent content. I try to contribute in various ways and one of the things I do is the "hidden photography gems". (Inspired by @dragonslayer109 and @jamtaylor)
I would love to feature authors too.. And help them to get more exposure! - But this can't be done yet. I haven't established myself enough yet.. I don't earn enough yet.. I don't get upvotes from whales continuously and I would feel terrible featuring new authors and just earn $1 or $2 on their posts. - Sure, that would be more than nothing but that just doesn't work for me. - That's why I will continue to work hard, climb some more steps up the ladder and establish myself even further.. When I've done that.. Then I'll be happy to help other authors by featuring their posts!
- Hopefully, people will notice the things I do. Hopefully people will see that I do what I do not because of money as the first goal in sight, but to help others. I believe we should help each other. I believe we should care.. As long as I can help others, I will gladly do just that.
There's no rewards as good as a "thank you" from a person who truly means it. From a person you've helped with something important. If I can help people to change their lives, in one way or another, then I'm willing to commit myself. I want to help. I will help.
Usual Sweden story , youngsters not knowing what do do with their lives , alcohol and drugs everywhere . Few of them make something of their lives . Jobs in some factories ( production of plastics where i live ) , always complaining about something .
Funny thing is that there is so many opportunities up here in Sweden , what ever you think of you can made it . Owners like hard workers and you get your compensation for that . I'm glad that you are satisfied with your self . Keep up .
Thank you. And yeah, we do have a bunch of opportunities in Sweden. Unfortunately, everyone doesn't seem to be able to see that.
We all need to make our own choices. Looks like you have made the right choice. Coming from a Chinese family, a lot of emphasis is placed on education. And for me, education was my way out of poverty
Yeah, I've had my ups and downs regarding high school during the years but I'm satisfied with the choice I made. School wasn't for me. - I'm glad things worked out good for you too!
I truly feel like I am reading the story of my life....My wife just made a beautifully smelling dinner....I can't stop reading your story, for the reason it is mine. Hitmeasap, I like you and I will follow...THANK YOU! Let us find more like us and prosper.
Seriously....THANKYOU SIR...We are not alone.