Around one and half years ago, I was sitting in a drinking establishment pondering life and the default path that was awaiting me.

I mean I wasn't depressed, I've been through that aspect of my life and it’s a different ball game.

However, I was troubled by my place in the world.

Despite all of the hard work and sometimes late hours, my life had essentially been stuck on cruise control without a rudder since undertaking an extensive period of travel. Lets say, it was for ‘self discovery’. (Note: Try to enjoy travelling, rather than looking for revelations.)

To be honest I was incredibly scared of actually succeeding and making a positive change in the world around me.

Hence I’d jumped into employment to escape the tough decisions. Was this my ideal job? Not really, but what did I know. I was a kid from the country.

Initially in a strange way this worked. The constant hum of industry life had a certain charm and the purpose of the work seemed aligned with making things happen and bringing ideas to life.

There was also the matter of money, that I had actually earned from a skill that I possessed.

Most of this money and extra energy was spent after hours on a variety of side projects, with the vein hope that one of the projects may potentially evolve into something great.

Unfortunately, almost all of these cool projects had little to do with business. In fact some of them were diametrically opposed and were justified on the premise of ‘love’.

But each did their job, by keeping me happy and sane.

Whilst my real job started to eat away at me, it was a little chip here and a little crack there. The principle of my university degree were seldom referenced and often contradicted to find the right price.

The purpose of the work had slowly become void of meaning.

So why didn't I leave?

I didn't really hate my job enough to leave.

I had stopped pushing almost all of the boundaries that life may throw up around you and somehow found myself contented with should rather than must. (Note: Please read Ella Luna’s brilliant long-form piece ‘The Crossroads between Should & Must’ , if you are stuck in this place.)

That was until I saw an orange truck on that night in the drinking establishment. Not in the flesh, things don’t happen that fast.

No, it was flung in my direction via smart phone as modern folk are known to use from time to time. That small screen offered a range of possibilities and a future that would definitely push a few boundaries.

Best of all it was going for a bargain basement price.

However this brought up the obvious question of ‘How’.

What did I need to accept with both hands to offer a new life for this truck?

This wasn't a question that could be solved by the great equaliser of ‘the internet’. As the motive and drive was still soft and unfocused and my ‘why’ was still being formed around fragments of ideas rather than a solid foundation.

This would mean for the first time in my life, the need to get some help from real people in the real world.

But where do you find such people. Especially people with a positive outlook on life, who can help to nurture such an fragile idea.

Thankfully, in my search for an answer, I was presented with a unique opportunity by @WillDayble and the @Squareweave team to participate in the inaugural Fitzroy Academy of GSD.

To say it was a roller coaster ride of emotions and energy is a dis-service. As I can truly say when I look back, this course will be one of those touchstones that has allowed me to turn the map of life upside down and choose a different path.

The path of ‘purpose’.

This new found purpose has presented avenues and side alleys that I didn’t know existed.

It’s tossed up the possibility of new projects with Digital Plenty and beaten my ass into running long distances. Whilst allowing a little orange truck to finally get the a-okay to roll on the road. (Note: What that truck becomes is still up in the air. The latest idea was a Mobile Sauna.)

Some may say I’ve finally got my shit together.

Only took a truck, an intensive course and twenty-nine years of life to get there.

If you want to continue the conversation, you can find me here, here & here