I have many different versions of my story, each of them to do with a different area of my life. As I shall say, a lot of it has been lessons to allow me to become the better stronger person who I had to become. Seeing myself become that person and looking around at what my life is like now. I needed to learn those lessons which would allow me to become successful in my own life and my profession and business. What is successful to me? That is answered later on; I had to learn what success or rich meant to me as a person. I am concentrating on professional, business, relationships and health in this portion of my story.
When I first came to network marketing in 2003, I was looking for work; I had spent years not able to find work stable. When I did find work it did not last long and was short lived owing to me being unable to cope with such for a variety of reasons. Sometimes owing to being unsupported in the role I was doing. At that time, I had little or no friendships, a number of jobs had been wrong for me; I was overweight and had a couple of life disabilities.
My life was literally a mess; I spent the next 2 years learning the business and then left because of ill advice and someone offering me an opportunity which I took. At that time I was not ready and still had things I needed to learn, for the next 2 years I remained self-employed working in that field of IT, I would work as needed. My health was not good; I was not taking care of myself health wise. In 2006, I was told either you lose weight or you are up for an operation or worse.
I could not afford the operation, having no work and so I slowly started to lose weight. I had also seen the consequences of ill health on my own family who still do not take care of their health. So I started my regime of losing weight. I’d seen my mum with diabetes not control her health and that was not something I had wanted, so in 2007 whist I was still searching for work and having left the IT role for a number of reasons which included medical reasons. I came across the same network marketing company that I had been involved with previously. I found out that it was someone whom I had met the first time and said yes without a doubt. Knowing the products worked. At that point I had no money and yet I knew I would find a way to get started, which I did.
From that simple decision, I started to get my weight under control and regain my health, a person who had struggled to maintain work and his health owing to many reasons. I literally started to put my life back together, living with a disability which limits your lifting ability was not easy; also knowing that I needed a role that I could do around my health, which could create problems. During this time, I started working on relationships and my other issues as well. Some relationships worked some did not; it was simply what I had to learn. So I worked on my relationships as much as I could and creating friendships which I had hardly any.
I also had a very poor diet owing to the lifestyle I had been living and the diet my family ate. Very much fast food or meals that were premade, that had been the lifestyle for a number of years. I did not know any better. I began eating healthier and getting my weight under control along with working on relationships. I was going to the gym to physical side of my health, which needs to be maintained constantly.
In just over 14 months New Years Eve 2008 I finished my weight loss and had gone from weighing 116 kg to 82 kg which was 34 kg weight loss. I had also lost over 135 cm of body fat it was great. I had gone from a double or triple extra large to a medium / large which was great. As the months went by from there I gradually went down to lose a further 6 kilos to keep my weight around 76 kilos for me I had never been able to do such. I was not as hungry and was able to do a lot more then what I had been able to do in many years.
One of my disabilities used to restrict how long I was able to stand on my feet. These days I no longer have that issue; sure, the condition is still there. I have managed to maintain my weight bellow 82 kg since then. For me I have been working on keeping my health and appetite under control. Something I do not ever remember having done at all. I spoke about success and rich at the begging of my story, to me rich is relationships. Strong friendships and being happy, it has been over 3 years since I started that journey now. I have had to learn creating relationships, friendships, to be comfortable with myself, to be myself and not care what others think. I have also needed to learn financial independence, saving, investment, so many things.
Why did I have to learn all this? Well I was not taught such. I was always made to feel that my needs, wants dreams and desires were not worth it. So I they been pushed so far down that it was not funny; owing to my upbringing. Why do you want that I would hear. The people who I hung around would literally drag me down rather then pull me up. I just existed as I did not know any better. Looking back I had to learn all that I learnt to be the guy who I am today.
I have gone on to find 3 of the best friendships I could ever ask for. These friends are wonderful, they know what has gone on and I am glad to of met them. One of them is a legend and my very best friend, they are the best. They know who they are and I am glad to have them in my life. What can I say I have literally started to rebuild my life from nothing, out of the ashes and had to do that, I started with nothing, now I know that no matter what I can rebuild my life no matter what does happen.
I have become successful and rich in being able to find those 3 great friendships, they are friends who I can count on no matter what and would trust with so many things. Each of them are the best. I have best colleagues who are there to help when I need them and I am glad to have them around.
I have kept my story generic and non-company specific owing to the fact that I have had to use a number of different methods to get my life back on track. Let me know should you want to know more.
Do you want to learn how to create better relationships? information is available by downloading our free eBook. Ben Drake
