So I had my graduation ceremony today.. WOOHOOO!
It made me think about how I am used to having about 15 things on the go, and how my new career doesnt have any work given to me – I find it and make it. My ‘old life’ went something like this for the past 7 years:
Worked at the House of Commons Full-Time and went to Algonquin College for Fitness and Lifestyle Management. I realized that many people were getting into Human Kinetics in University, and that my certificate wouldn’t mean much in the real world, so I decided to take a swing at University. Nearly two years with one to go and I switched gears.
Problem is – going to College meant I didnt have to do my OAC’s – so now I had to do them. Except for the fact there were no OAC’s because I was the last year before the double cohort and there were only 12U’s left on the table – most of which I had just DONE!
So I found 6 more ‘interesting’ classes and I took EVERY method of school I could think of – Correspondence (mail), Internet School, Summer School (St.Matts) and Night School (Immaculata). 6 courses later and 3 years deep in the House of Commons, I started applying for University.
One major shift had occured – I wasn’t that much into the whole fitness industry as a career anymore. Interestingly enough – I got a 97% in Economics and I LOVED it! So I got into business…
I took a job in Accounting at the HOC, as that was my major at the time. Then I switched gears to Finance and finally to Management. I realized the former two types of careers required professional designations for the most part, and that I was really excited by the Management Courses available because I wanted to be my own boss and start my own company.
While in my University Career, I took my Canadian Securities Course, my Successful Site Management course from the Real Estate Institute of Canada, and then finally my Realtor’s License.
On my way out of University, I was getting restless and took a new job in HR – mostly for the change of pace, and a shift of focus from numbers to people (boy was I wrong – can you say DATA ENTRY? What an unpleasant stint).
So right before I graduated University – I QUIT. It had been 7 years at the HOC and in School BOTH Full Time, and I was tired of it. I needed freedom. I remember going to Ottawa U 4 nights a week after work , often enough my 3 hour classes were from 7-10 which meant the good old OC Transpo would have me warm in bed, showered and shaved and ready for the next day by midnight. It made for LONG winter nights!
I said to myself – You live once, be happy and do what you want to do with your life. And there were all kinds of signs and signals around me. I had just heard in a class that the average standard of living of a human worldwide is LOWER than the average standard of living of the average Canadian HOMELESS person. The latter has access to employment opportunities, shelter, family and food, while the former quite often does not. My family and now wife were HUGE supporters of my ambitions. She would tell me to do what I wanted and she would work double time to make sure we would be OK if worse came to worse (She is a former graduate as well – both College and University). A good quote I heard once was ” Boats are safe in harbour. Thats not what boats are for.”
So that pushed me over the edge. I quit, I lined up a career as a Real Estate Salesperson with a long time mentor Dr.Bruce Firestone, I planned on graduating in a few months and getting married and I was going to give it all I had.
Well I now have a ring on my finger and I just had my grad ceremony today.
Its go time!
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