No matter which way the wind blew, there was always the subtle hint of cow manure in the air. This is what happens when you live directly between two dairy farms, which is where my family was situated for the first 17 years of my life. It was sort of a metaphor for the otherwise beautiful scenery of Glen, NY: namely that life never changed much and it was difficult to get a “fresh” start (pun intended).

Perhaps this is why my math teacher was so adamant about me going to college out of state. He even went as far as driving me out to MIT, probably to make sure I didn’t chicken out. This same teacher would lament about the fates of students that couldn’t quite make a clean break from the hometown and move far enough away. Inevitably, a large percentage of them would return to their parents homes within 6 to 12 months, staying only long enough before setting up permanent residence in the old hometown. And to further solidify the pattern, many would start living the same types of lives and lifestyles as their parents instead of creating their own.

And even those that broke free had to face a different form of stuckness. After all, the paradigm drilled into my generation was that you went to work for a big company (e.g. GE, the state, etc) and in 40 years you retire! It was a different rut, but a rut nonetheless. Thankfully, it’s becoming easier and easier to break both types of ruts.

Hitting the Reset Button

Fast forward 15 years to a town far far away…

The context has completely changed:

• You can find people who share your exact interests, no matter how nerdy/trendy/strange they are.
• Connecting with these people across city, state, and country lines is trivial.
• The number of telecommuting jobs has exploded, meaning you can work a gig in California while sitting home in Boise, Idaho (or Panama).
• Because it’s easier to find niche interest groups, it’s easier for businesses to make products/services for said niches. Do you like custom skateboard hats? There are probably another 1000 out there that do as well.
• Your best friends no longer have to live next to you. In fact, you may develop stronger relationships with people 2000+ miles away.
• Technology is changing so fast that formal education is less relevant in landing the job.
• Need money to get started? Websites like kickstarter.com help the fringe ideas connect with buyers and with new opportunities.
• And on and on…

In short, you are no longer limited by geography. You’re no longer limited by your education. You are no longer limited by the number of people in your immediate location that share your passion. You are no longer limited by who you were in 6th grade. You are no longer required to stay in that same role because your typecast you as this or that.

In short, you have every opportunity to hit that reset button and start finding yourself… all you gotta do is hit the reset button.

Who are you now? And who can you become?

The problem with the past is that we focus on it far too much. Whether or not you believe in the “Law of Attraction” is irrelevant. The reality is that if you hang out with the same people and repeat the same stories and do the same routine over and over and over again—guess what? Your life is not going to change!

And there is NOTHING wrong with that! Especially if you happen to be living the life you want and you’ve become the person you want to be! But what if you are not there yet? What if you wake up each and every morning with that feeling of something being amiss? Don’t beat yourself up over it, because that will just force you to not leave that pattern. But you definitely want to DO something about it!

Thankfully, there has never been an easier time to start over.

My Resets

• I was an atheist for 20+ years, but then I found God (something I vowed would never happen) before finding a different form of spirituality. And now? I’m still exploring.
• I was a math/science whiz turned computer science major before for half a semester. I then turned to materials science and engineering for 10 years (nabbing 2 degrees). And now? I make bad ass Drupal websites.
• I once was a loner, but then became semi-popular and social in high school and my undergrad years. Then I was a hermit for my graduate years. Now? I’m married and have a wonderful family, and I'm itching to get back out into the social circles again.
• I was a straight laced scientist who studied things like quantum mechanics. And now? I’m an explorer of all things metaphysics, and I’m fascinated to learn and use alternative healing techniques that try to leverage quantum mechanics (e.g. Matrix Energetics, Quantum Jumping, etc).
• I changed my name 2 years ago, just because I could!

How’s that for a changing life path?

My Family’s Resets

It’s not just me. 2012 is a year of BIG changes for everyone I know. Here is just a sampling of said changes from my family in the past 2 years:

• My father-in-law just retired last month to create more time to reconnect with himself and his family.
• My wife quit her job 6 months ago in order to pursue her passion in music performance.
• My sister in law just quit her job to pursue her passion of photography.
• My brother-in-law moved his family out to Colorado 2 years ago in order to get a fresh start.
• My younger brother quit his job 3 months ago to travel South America for 9 months with his girlfriend and try to find himself.
• My youngest brother moved out to Colorado to live near me in order to try and shake things up and try out a different lifestyle.

Does that sound like I have a family content in staying in a rut? Hell no! There has been a tremendous amount of change going on for the past 2 yeas. But I’m so proud of every one of my family members for going all in and betting on their new lives.

And to the naysayers that claim that I’m young and that they can’t do it because they have kids, a mortgage, etc… bullshit! Everyone one of my family members (including myself) had to stare down these same fears. Will I be able to afford this? What if I make a mistake? What if it doesn’t work out? Will I be poor, broke, or lose my ability to support my family? Every one of these jumps was HUGE. And yet despite the fears, they all (eventually) made the jump.

Your Resets?

What were the big turning points in your life? Is it time for you to hit the reset button once again? Well get a move on because the person you’re ready to become is anxiously waiting to meet the new you!