I do not think that long-term dreams and goals are supposed to be reached by age 38. Or maybe it is just me. When I was younger, my biggest dream was to be a Marine. Once I entered the Marine Corps, my biggest goals were to become a Master Sergeant (E-8) in the Air Traffic Control community and to do 20 years in the Corps. Well, I achieved the rank of Master Sergeant in 15 years (the year 2014) and I set my new goals to achieve the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9) and serve 30 years in the Corps. Well, I reached the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant in exactly 20 years. Along my journey through the Marine Corps, I fell in love and got married. Kris and I had two boys as well. But for my own personal journey, it all plateaued at Master Gunnery Sergeant.
So there I was 20 years in the Marine Corps. I had achieved something amazing by getting promoted to E-9. I was excited, I was vindicated, and I was lost. Why was I lost? I had an amazing wife and kids. We had almost everything we could have dreamed of, and most importantly, we were happy. So why was I feeling lost and out of place? I believe that internally, the motivation and drive to go to work every day was based on those new promotions. Remember, I joined the Marine Corps 10 days after high school. This was all I knew about adulthood. As soon as I joined the Marine Corps as an E-2, there was always the next rank to achieve. Now, at age 38, I was free from the rat race of chasing rank in the Corps. I was a rare member of the terminal rank club, meaning that I had no more ranks to achieve.
I ended up reflected upon my journey through the Corps for many days. I wondered what was the next step. That was when I knew I was going through a mid-life crisis. I was searching for the next achievement in life that would be as meaningful as reaching E-9. Again, this has nothing to do with my family. This is purely from Josh’s perspective. This is about my singular journey of accomplishments. At the time, I didn’t have any real hobbies that would challenge me to my inner core. The challenge was what I loved about the Corps. First, it was a physical challenge. Then it became a mental challenge. Then it became an inter-personal challenge, meaning how well you could deal with other people. Now, I had to find a new challenge. One that preferably would last me until I die. After some months, lo and behold, I found my new challenge. However, it wasn’t as simple as looking through a newspaper and picking a new goal. It came in steps. I will walk you through the steps I personally took to find my new calling.
1) I took my time. I understood that my life had changed and my mind was resisting the change. There was no need to go out and buy a new convertible or start an affair with a 20-something year old. Those weren’t who I was. I know myself, and I knew I was searching for a new purpose.
2) I understood that I was in a mid-life crisis. You will know when it hits you. Why deny it. I woke up searching for something to research or study. I just didn’t know what direction I wanted to go in.
3) Try new things. I had already started studying and investing in the stock market. However, there is only so much of the 24-hour news cycle that I could take. I knew I didn’t want to read stock market articles all day. They make you want to spend money you don’t have. Sort of like looking on Amazon all day. Everything changed the day I started my blog. That day was July 10, 2020.
4) Go with the flow. After I opened my blog, I felt a whole new level of calm and peace. I started a daily routine of waking up, exercising, spending time with my lovely wife (wink wink), and then working on my blog. The blog gave me a way to express myself. I just wrote whatever I felt like writing. Writing the blog has piqued my interest in so many different areas. Now I have a Facebook group, a Pinterest page, and a YouTube channel. I am able to write about love and money. My interests also include financial freedom and successful retirement planning. I have read 13 books over the last few months. I have read more books in the last few months than I have read over the course of my 21-year career. It all started with my blog.
5) I found my passion. Most of us never get to explore our passion. The rat race of working a grueling nine-to-five job slowly drains the lifeforce from our pathetic souls. Okay, I am being very melodramatic. Seriously, our jobs and day-to-day lives do sap our ability to seek out our passions. I know that my passion is to communicate with people. Now I feel like I am able to do that 24 hours a day. I am also leaving a legacy for my children, which is the most important thing that a parent can do.
If I can do it, so can you. The first step is knowing that something is off. It doesn’t have to be something relating to work. It could be a boring or unfulfilling relationship. Maybe your children have left the nest. Maybe there was a death to an important person. All these things can trigger a feeling of being lost. Once you recognize something is off, then you can address it. Make sure you talk to someone. I told my wife that something was off. She said just don’t go have an affair and you’ll be alright. Lol. She was right. Overall it took me about 10 months to find my new direction. It didn’t happen overnight. It slowly crept up on me. I just didn’t fight the new sensations that came to me. Trust me, opening social media accounts and YouTube channels aren’t my forte, but they have helped me find a new purpose. And for that. I am very grateful.
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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