For most of my life, I followed the script—at least, the one I thought I was supposed to follow. I built a career, played it safe, and settled into a life that seemed fine from the outside. But something never quite felt right. I was going through the motions, stuck on autopilot, instead of truly living.

I spent years in retail and the family business, pouring my energy into jobs that didn’t give much back. The money was good, but at the end of the day, I’d just find myself stuck in a small town dealing with long and depressing winters, grinding through each day just to repeat the same thing the next. The stress, the hours, and the feeling of being trapped in a cycle—it all started taking its toll. Not just on my mind, but on my body. I was constantly exhausted, my motivation drained, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the life I was meant to lead.

Then there were the people I worked with.

I was surrounded by negativity, complacency, and a lack of ambition. It wasn’t just a bad day here and there—it was the kind of environment that sucked the life out of you. The constant gossip, the complaining, the lack of drive—it was draining. But what bothered me most was how it held me back from pursuing something I actually cared about. It made me question my own potential, too.

I kept telling myself this was normal, that everyone has days like this. But the feeling never went away. In fact, it only got stronger.

Then, one day, I decided to make a change.