“Aaron, be where you are.” This was the advice I received from my older brother; counseling me on my current frustration with where I was in life. as nothing seemed to be going the way I had anticipated, with the conclusions I had hoped for being quite far from ever happening. At the time, I strongly disagreed with his advice, thinking one should never mentally ‘be’ where they are in life, but instead ‘being’ further along the future so their eyes never stray from the prize they are seeking.
Here I am. It is December, 2010. There were many things I had hoped would happen by this time in my life. Thinking about it, various surface-level goals and ambitions plague my mind, probing me to think I may have, in some way or form, failed my mission. However, I can think quite differently, while, in the past, I would have viewed myself through the lens of failure.
What I have come to realize is one can pursue a common goal with different motivations and have a completely different outcome. An example of this would be my pursuit of entrepreneurship; initially pursuing this career only for the end goal of money, though I did not like to admit it. After several difficult years of working on various projects, I realized my goals had shifted quite dramatically. Rather than pursuing entrepreneurship for the pursuit of the dollar, I’ve realized it stems from my love to create, innovate, develop, and work hard. I would do all of these things, even if they did not pay me a cent.
A pivotal point of my life has developed from the mentorship I’ve received from a faithful friend, and business partner. Working alongside him, I have learned many of the most important lessons of my life/career, while also being driven to identify and pursue what it is that I want. Recently, we’ve spent a lot of time working together, even if they are not on projects related to the business. His background is in industrial design and manufacturing, and he has a manufacturing plant at his disposal to work on projects. This place is like a working-man’s paradise; with every tool you could ever imagine, towering piles of materials just waiting to be made into something, forklifts, cranes, and the smell of many years of hard production. Heaven.
It was in this place that I’ve learned these valuable lessons. In recent years, he has undergone extremely difficult situations that do not need to be discussed. Being forced to close his business and undergo personal financial pain, he has handled it like a champion. When helping him clean up the plant, preparing for an auction where looters would take the fruits of his hard labor, he said “Aaron, what hurts about this is that it feels like I’m dismantling a dream.” It was in this moment I realized I was in the presence of a true man, entrepreneur, and warrior. It was somebody who had spent decades pursuing something that was being profanely destroyed by looters, who know nothing about the art of creating. If there were ever a moment where I could get inside of somebody’s head, it would be then; I intently watched as he simply stared and looked at the plant floor.
See, the plant was quiet. That was the first problem. There should have been a buzz of activity, with dozens of workers manufacturing the products he created. There should have been bright flashes coming from the hot welds piecing together large pieces of metal. There should have been the chemical smell of resins, solvents, and activators at work. Dust should have been flying in the air as workers cut through molds, sanding them down to a level of perfection found nowhere else. I should have heard the loud chatter of laughter from the break room, as employees – people who were employed and capable of supporting a family because one man dared to dream big – took their break for lunch; laughing freely because they were able to fulfill their purpose in life because one man pursued his. The loud roar of a diesel forklift was missing, as it sat stagnant without a driver. The floors were clean, since there was nobody to make a mess of them. It was like a human body, drained of its blood.
All of this was going through my mind as I stood there, watching him. There is no level of heartbreak that can compare to the feeling going through the heart at that moment. I learned a valuable lesson for his character and perseverance; he was still standing, in a situation that would have made strong men crumple, cry, and give up. Yet, he still stood prepared, ready to tackle what the future held. It was one of the most inspiring moments I have ever seen.
Recently, I have had the opportunity to work at the plant on a few small projects. Currently, we are repainting one of his vehicles. For me, this is purely educational and recreational; it’s a pleasant distraction from the real world, while also preparing me for entrance into the world of being a creator. What separates his work from that of a common worker is that his level of excellence will never meet compromise; it would not matter if we were repairing a Lamborghini or a car of lessor character; he does everything with excellence.
“Aaron, the reason is….” Is one of my favorite phrases to hear. Every time I hear it, my ears perk up because I know something important is being imparted. He uses it quite often; explaining the what, where, and why something happens. From pouring paint through a filter to extract its impurities, to knowing the importance of having a strong legal team on the foundation of your company, he teaches me the reason why one would do any sort of action. This is not about paint filters or good attorneys — it is about life. When you realize that every action you take has a reason behind it, with consequences, rewards, and qualities directly attributed to how you take that action, you begin to think differently. You begin to act with purpose. You begin to calculate your moves prior to making them. You begin to slow the moving target and drive straight towards a defined goal. All of the sudden, you begin to live intentionally.
Watching him mix chemicals with the precision and grace of an expert bartender, I realize that life creates many opportunities where individuals can operate with uncompromised excellence. Whether he is making a weld, driving a forklift, or wrenching a difficult piece of machinery, you can tell his actions are in sync with his purpose and goals in life. It is this reaction and display of purpose that is often seen in nature, as a hawk will patiently stalk its prey, or as the cyclist races up a mountain. It is not the reward that pushes these individuals to operate with excellence, but the very act of living a life of excellence. That, in and of itself, is its own reward, destination, and reason for existence.
While this has been a very long post, I’ll come to a conclusion. There was once a day where I pursued certain paths in life because I only wanted the fluffy reward; enticed by money, fancy toys, and the idea somehow artificially earning peer respect, I chased success for the wrong reasons. It has been in recent times that I’ve discovered the joy of creation; the skill and pride from doing something others have not done, creating something that did not exist before, or improving something so others may benefit from your hard work.
The individual I’ve written about has spent several years asking me “Aaron, what do you want?” and it’s been very hard for me to find an answer. While this answer may not be complete, I believe I’ve come very close to finding it:
In my life, I want to create companies that use innovation and technology to benefit others. I want to be a creator.
I want to develop others – and myself – so that others can find, pursue, and achieve their goals. I want to be a developer.
When I die, I would like to have been known as somebody who created what others had not done, improved what others have done, encouraged others when they were ready to give up, and be a living example that it is possible to follow your dreams, through even the harshest of circumstances, and achieve them.
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