Some people go through life and just repeat the motions until they get to the end.
Others…like myself…needed a life changing event that would forever change their path. 5 years ago today, I decided to make a huge change in my life that drastically altered everything I knew…and for the better.
There are those key points in your life where you are put at a decision and that decision can mean the difference between life and death. Are you going to get busy living or get busy dying? For me…5 years ago today was when I finally made the decision to get busy living.
For many…even some of my closest friends…this is the first insight into who Robb Sutton was several years ago. I am writing this now not to look for satisfaction in my accomplishments up to this point or to look for a pat on the back. The following depiction of the details covering the past years of my life are solely to prove that anyone can overcome anything if they make that decision and stick with it. There is nothing in life that we can not overcome and nothing is hopeless.
After spending several years caught up in the Athens, GA downtown nightlife, things were getting out of control. Without getting into the gory details that are really irrelevant to the purpose of this post, I had put myself into a position on this day 5 years ago that was going to have drastic negative results in my life for years to come.
- I was failing out of school.
- I had plowed my SUV into a tree doing 50 mph.
- My habits had put me in a financial position that was horrendous.
- I had alienated everyone around me.
- I was slipping in to a depression that was getting dangerous for myself and those around me.
- I was abusing substances to the amount that was going to put me in an early grave.
I was in such a state of wreckage that I knew it was going to be a long road out of the darkness, but…for the first time in my life…I had the fight to get out of it. The next couple of years proceeding this decision were filled with road blocks and repercussions due to past decisions. Through each of these hurdles, I focused on the end goal ignoring anything that would stand in my way.
So after all that has happened, where do I sit 5 years later?
- I returned back to the University of Georgia and finished my degree in economics. It took taking classes at Kennesaw and then commuting from Marietta to Athens (1.5 hour drive) twice a week for two semesters to get it done, but it was worth every second. I actually checked and rechecked the list in our graduation books while sitting in Sanford stadium during graduation to make sure it really happened.
- I stopped living the life that was going to kill me and started living healthier by dropping all bad habits. 5 years ago today…I stopped everything that needed to stop immediately and a year later I completely stopped the 1.5 packs a day of cigarettes. Today…I can ride a road bike for 100 miles in one sitting and I can enjoy the hobbies that I gave up in favor of a life that wasn’t worth living. I gained my health and happiness back.
- I am now married to a wonderful woman that treats me better than I deserve and we have two houses and two dogs. This was something that I never thought would be possible and I am thankful everyday of my life that I have received such a great gift.
- I have started my own projects that will carry my families financial freedom for years to come.
- I am happy. I am starting my own family and my current family has their real son back. That alone is worth the price of admission.
It is amazing what has happened in just 5 years. My only hope is that someone else who can’t see a way out can read this and see that anything is possible. Even the most hopeless case can pull through with just a little bit of hard work. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday about an article here on robbsutton.com and I explained to him that I write these articles as much for me as I do others. Once it is down in print, it is real for me and that is the push I need to continue to live in action rather than complacency.
This is your one and only life. You have to make it…there is no other choice. If there are things in life that are trying to bring you down, make the decision to make the changes that will drastically change your outcomes. There is no hurdle that is too large to cross…you just have to make the decision to do it and take the necessary action. No one said it was going to be easy, but the rewards of hard work greatly outweigh the effort. Simply put…if I could do it…anyone can.
Fork image by Whatknot
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