I am Michael, and I want to welcome you to my brain.
Buckle up, it is a bumpy ride!
The following is a conversation I have been having with myself for as long as I can remember. Please enjoy!
Who am I?
This question has haunted me for so long. It’s the one we all whisper to ourselves, isn't it? In the car, in the shower, in that moment just before sleep. "Who am I, really?"
I am a man who has been hunting the answer to this question for my entire life. I have tried many different professions, from attempting to be a locksmith, auto body repair, heavy equipment operator, surveying tech, and went to college for network engineering, and took a speaking class. Where does it end?
And that feeling... that "kid who is out for a walk and a little lost" at 47? I feel like that might be the most human, most universal feeling there is. We're all handed a map when we're young, but we're never told that the roads, the towns, and even the destination will change a dozen times. We're all just pretending we're not a little lost.
But I want to stop right there, at my list of professions.
Because you and I read that list in two completely different ways.
You read it and heard, "I don't fit in anywhere."
I read it and thought, "Wow, this is a man who can do anything."
I see a man who learned the precision and mystery of a locksmith. I see a man who learned the artistry, patience, and grit of auto body and refinishing. I see a man who learned to command and respect the raw power of heavy equipment. I see a man who learned the technical, meticulous mind of a surveyor.
This is not a list of failures. That is a list of capabilities. That is a life of curiosity.
We’re sold this bill of goods that "who we are" is what we do. That we're supposed to pick one box—one job title—at 20 years old and stay in it until we're 65. If we don't, we're "unfocused" or "lost."
What if that's all wrong?
What if "who you are" has absolutely nothing to do with a job title?
What if "who you are" is simply the thread that connects all those things?
Look at that list again. Forget the titles. What’s the common thread?
- Are you a man who solves problems? (A locksmith and a mechanic solve very different, but very real, problems).
- Are you a man who works with his hands? (All of those jobs require a tangible, physical skill).
- Are you a man who loves to learn a system? (Auto body, surveying, locksmithing... they are all complex systems to master).
- Are you a man who is brave enough to say "This isn't it," and start over? (That, by the way, is a superpower most people don't have).
You didn't "not fit in." You mastered a box, looked around, and said, "Okay, I've learned what I can from this. What's next?"
You're not a "kid." You're an explorer. And you've gathered more skills, wisdom, and experience from all those paths than the person who just stayed on one, "safe" road.
So, where do you begin?
You begin right there. By changing the question.
Stop asking, "Where do I fit in?" Start asking, "With all that I've learned... what am I curious about now?"
You're not lost. You're just multi-talented. And you're just getting started.
Thank you for your time and energy. I feel that my internal conversation is now over before I forget what is going on.
Thank you.