Day 19: Creative Writing Challenge

This is a 30-day writing challenge for the month of March where I will write a new post about a picture/video/idea each day.

At First Glance

Man is staring at a lot of different doors in an open area with grass and trees.

Each door is a different color so whatever is through the doors could be different.

Man has his arms crossed and appears to be thinking about which door to enter.

The Story Behind the Picture

Note: This is written in the account of the man in the picture who is thinking about which door to open.

I do not understand how I could get laid off,

I did everything they asked, but all it took was a cough.

Covid caused my company to downsize,

I was one of the unfortunate ones who’s department was demised.

Now I am all alone with no clear idea of what the future will hold,

I barely have any money for food and shelter, let alone think about money or gold.

I never really liked my job — it didn’t quite fulfill me,

I need something more aligned to my passions and interest — that’s how my next job will be.

Before I can decide which path to take,

I must first understand what is at stake.

If I can do something that brings me joy,

I do not need to worry about anything other than my wife and baby boy.

But I need to think fast because I need the money to pay bills,

I also need to save up for our family vacations — fun and thrills.

As I search for a new career, I realize that I do not know where my passion lies,

And I do not want to dive head first into something just to get a feel for it because I don’t exactly have many tries.

As I make this transition for my career,

Ending up how I felt during my previous job is my fear.

I have now done my due diligence and journaled what I like and dislike,

I like to learn about technology, fashion, and my dream job would be at Nike.

In order to get to where I want to go, there are other doors I must enter,

I must align my needs and wants and have them meet at the center.

I can feel fulfilled in life knowing where I am headed,

Prior to journaling or meditation making any moves was what I dreaded.

But I found a job working at a shoe store at the mall —Dr. Scholl’s,

In my free time I enrolled in online courses and brought books in the library to prepare for Nike roles.

I have always been a fan of sneakers but always think they could be improved,

There is a style element to the shoe design, but we must not forget about how it helps us move.

My passion is to invent or innovate a shoe that is extremely comfortable,

The shoe will still be stylish, lightweight, used for all-purposes and is very affordable.

I learned how to use design tools and concepts,

It was hard at first but I got used to it — I can believe I thought I was inept.

All these skills that I now have up my belt,

Are all interesting and were channeled through how I felt.

Rather than working for Nike, I decided that I will create my own shoe,

The money coming in from working at the store was enough for me to pursue.

About 18 months later of learning, testing, designing, and inquiring,

The product is ready for launch and I told myself even if it does not get a lot of traction I was already thriving.

This new found drive and interest wakes me up in the morning,

There were definitely a lot of bad days throughout this venture but also a lot of learning,

All the information I have learned can be used in different areas of my life too,

I once believed that my life was over when I lost my job, but I made sure that wasn’t true.

This was a purposeful venture that I really wanted to complete,

I now want to see the shoes I designed on other peoples feet.

I was so scared about picking the wrong door as it would determine how my future looked,

But how wrong I was — I opened one door and I became hooked.

I learned how to enjoy the process of working on my passion project,

It helped me find myself and I hope you experience the same affect.

Live the life you want to live rather than the life you think you should,

And you will realize that everything that you thought you couldn’t do you actually could.

Once you figure out what drives you keep the momentum and keep pushing ahead,

And then you will feel you have lived a good life right before you’re dead.