I went from losing everything. Watching my dreams erode before my eyes. To making $70k as a writer. What happened? Here’s the longest post you’ve ever read on X: ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ From healthy to sick ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ My life was going pretty well until I turned 18. About two months after that, I became extremely sick, and it happened very fast. I was diagnosed with Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ) For some unknown reason, my jawbone shifted to the right. It started to press on my right ear, causing inflammation across my face. Something that usually happens to people after they reach the ripe age of 100 years old happened to me at a very young age. Doctors were shocked. It took a year to receive this diagnosis. During that year, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong A year when I lost pretty much everything. I couldn’t eat any solid food. I couldn’t listen to music or watch TV. I couldn’t properly use my eyes anymore. I couldn’t talk with my friends like I used to. I couldn’t walk outside without being struck by pain. My jaw was bashing into my right ear, leading to an unbearable amount of pain. I developed Hyperacusis, which literally means sensitivity to sound. Initially, it was loud sounds, but then almost everything caused me pain. Anti-inflammatory meds helped, but they destroyed my gut. Because they are not meant to be taken for months on end. This was my existence for about 2.5 years. Then, something happened. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Treatment and hope ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ After that year, I was diagnosed with TMJ and began treatment. It somewhat helped. But the change wasn’t linear. Despite undergoing treatment, I made very little progress with my condition. Until one day, about 90% of my symptoms disappeared. It felt like a miracle. The kind of story you’d read on the internet and think, "This could never happen in real life," but it did. It was as if God’s test had ended, and the lesson was learned. That period was one of significant personal growth. While battling illness, I was also pursuing a BSc degree in Psychology. During that time, I shattered all my limiting beliefs about human potential. And the sound of a "why" began to crystallize. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ To give you a prime example. In my first year of college, I couldn’t write during classes. Because keeping my eyes open caused quite a deal of pain. So, I was only listening to the class with my eyes closed. I also gave up on some of the anti-inflammatory meds, Because I couldn’t pop them daily without creating even more gut damage. So, I grasped each word that was spoken and tried to memorize the information, on the spot. Impossible, right? Wrong. I couldn’t memorize everything, so rarely would I write something down. Statistics formulas, for example. And for exams, I had to stay with my eyes open to write. It worked because I was desperate. It worked because I had a unique affinity toward psychology. After classes, I would recall all the information in the class. Imagine doing only that with your time. Because I had nothing else left. What would happen? I got a scholarship. It was then that I saw the power of a strong why. Even though I was barely functioning as a human being, I still was crushing my exams. Only through sheer willpower. So when I healed, I could finally use all my senses properly. I thought I was invincible. Turns out that was false. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ The second fall ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ So, after I healed, I thought my life was going to be an easy ride. What more could happen? Well, getting a soul-sucking job was next on my list of accomplishments. I was one of the best students the college had ever seen. And yet, I couldn’t find a job as a psychologist with just a Bachelor’s degree. So, you can imagine my disappointment when I got hired as a Customer Service Specialist. But my story didn’t end there. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Questioning everything ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ There I was, in all my might and glory. After three years of acing exams, the great student had become your favorite Customer Service Representative. "Depressed" was an understatement. I couldn’t believe it. I had healed from that terrible disease, and now this was my happy ending? Barely affording to live? Zero chances of doing something meaningful? For nine tedious months, I was lost. Until I looked within myself and realized I had to escape. My "why" was broadcasting a higher vision for me. Something greater was waiting, and I couldn’t let it end there. So, after being the worst employee who got promoted, I quit. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ A loser and a dreamer ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ While I was working that 9-to-5 job, I started getting into digital marketing. Every spare second I had, I would study and experiment. I didn’t make any money. However, I realized that tapping into a global market was my way out. So, I tried to land clients as an SEO specialist and digital marketer. I failed on every possible metric. I even tried getting a job in the marketing field in my home country, but after 200+ applications, I couldn’t get one. Still, I knew it was possible, even though everyone around me told me to grow up and accept my fate. After I quit my 9-to-5, I had some money, and with the backing of my parents, I pursued an MSc in Psychology. But this time, I learned from my mistake. I wasn’t going to let formal education be my path to success. I needed to start a business. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Stumbling toward the light ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ People imagine that success comes easily. It doesn’t. It took me five years from the moment I decided to become a digital marketer to create a sustainable income as a writer. After I quit my 9-to-5, I started writing on Medium while I was pursuing the MSc. For six months, my articles only earned around $30, but I learned how to write. I published around 100 long-forms. I decided to try Upwork, even though, based on my stellar track record, I didn’t think I had any chance of getting a job. But I did. My first client paid around $60 per article, which was a massive upgrade for my existence. Within a year, I had client after client until I reached around $4k/month. This was the fifth year since I started trying to make money online. My life radically changed because now I could dream again. I was doing something meaningful. Only because, all those years, I kept believing. I kept working relentlessly, hoping that one day I could tell you this exact story you are reading right now. So, what are my plans right now? Glad you didn’t ask. I’ll tell you anyway. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ My offer ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ I am launching a skool community. Stumble Toward The Light. Where I teach everything I know, more or less. I plan on releasing courses, frameworks, This means teaching: -Principles of using Artificial intelligence. -Search Engine Optimization -A path to find your “Why” -Principles of writing -Personal branding -Copywriting -Upwork I will also do a weekly group call. Guiding people toward the same outcome I achieved in my life. Living with purpose and earning money through something meaningful. Why all of those? Because I used everything to win, not a specific skill, not a specific method. The core of 'Stumbling Toward The Light' is using whatever you can to push through the absurd setbacks and challenges that life throws at you. The first FIVE people who join get the best deal known to humankind. I already have people interested, so let me create some FOMO and say: Hurry up. DM “Stumble” to learn more. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Thank you for reading the longest post I wrote on X!

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