A Little Bit Of Magic
Posted on Feb 13, 2012 | 18 comments
I've got a secret for you. And yes, it works just like magic. But first a story.
Some time ago, before the days of Wifi and Facebook, I found myself running an internet-based business out of a concrete apartment on the outskirts of Nanning, China. I was 26, and not only was I creating my first business, I was also deeply entrenched in my first trip abroad. I had been in China only 6 months. I didn't speak the language, I was struggling with culture shock, and between my wife and I we had about $1,500 to our name. And yet, here we were, starting a business, and the pieces were just falling into place.
The company was called foreignteacher.com (if you Google it now you might still find a reference or two to me, but the current site is not mine), and the business was recruiting teachers to teach ESL in schools all over the world. I sent native English speakers to Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and the Czech Republic. It was pretty cool actually. I set up a simple website using the original (and very limited) version of Microsoft Frontpage, started spreading the word around China about the business, and within a month I was sending people from Ohio and California to the four corners of the globe.
It's interesting how stuff happens when you just give it a chance. This business of mine was started in the middle of the night on napkins outside a cafe in Yangshou, China. Every local business man kept asking me if I knew anyone who could teach English and my brain just started clicking. Maybe there was an opportunity here. Maybe this is why I came to China.
Turns out I knew a lot of teachers. I knew countries of full of potential teachers and I just needed a way to get in touch with them. So, in one long evening, over many beers and many bowls of noodles, some newly found friends and I created the idea for this little enterprise and decided to call it foreignteacher.com. In a few weeks I had set up shop and somehow figured out how to design and publish a website. I was making connections fast. I quickly found teachers and matched them up with schools. And eventually, after a few months, I finally started to get paid. I never had one reservation. I never second guessed or tried to talk myself out of it. And that, in a nutshell, is how it all works.
I didn't go to China looking to start a business. I was an English teacher by trade. I went to teach English. I went for the adventure. But opportunity just has a way of finding you if you give it a chance. In less than a year I went from working with gang members in Los Angeles to recruiting teachers to work around the world from my home base in China. I never planned any of it - it just happened.
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I promised you a secret. Well, here it is.
If you give yourself a chance to change, then you will start discovering new opportunities every day of your life.
This is really all the magic you need in life.
You want to travel the world? Let it happen.
You want to start a new business? Let it happen.
You want to be a better person? Let it happen.
This is not rocket science people, it only seems hard to accept because so many of us have done things the same way for so long. We get stuck in our routines. We get attached to stuff. We teach ourselves to have a real hard time accepting any sort of change.
I'll tell you this: The times when I have been most open to change in my life, are the times when the greatest opportunities have come my way. Just let the magic happen.
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Now, some of you are going to want to know what happened to foreignteacher.com. Well, it eventually failed. I moved back to the States and started to have a real hard time collecting money from anyone. No surprise there, but I didn't see it coming. Rookie mistake.
But so what? I started another business shortly after and that failed as well. And then I decided to move up to Boston and ended up working in non-profits and mental health - two more things I knew nothing about, but have done well with. And now a blog and traveling the world - who knows how things will work out?
If you're playing with the idea of doing something big and different with your life, don't let the "what ifs" hold you back. My guess is that if you're thinking big, then you're ready to act big. And if things don't work out, then you'll just stumble upon some other idea and go give that a shot.
Opportunity will always come your way if you give it a chance. You have to keep your mind open. You have to be able to change. And you need to know that there are a million ways to do everything.
Take your chances. Let's see where they lead you down the road.
I couldn't agree with your post more! I believe paths are made and we just follow. Opportunity comes and you either have the courage or you don't.
There are many bumps in our road to happiness but all well worth it.
Thanks for sharing
Eva
eva hamori recently posted..21 Day Pursuing Happiness List
I agree on the paths idea. I would say that we help create them, but you have to give that creation process a chance. Clearly there are things thrown at your feet by who knows what. It is our choice to pick them up and embrace them, or ignore them and keep doing things the same old way.
Thanks!
AMEN!! Nancy and I were just discussing these sorts of things yesterday on the phone... and your name came up... in the BEST possible ways!!
Jenn Miller recently posted..Who Are The Coolest People You Know?
Although I wasn't thinking it at the time, I am sure your post from the other day had a lot to do with the creation of this one here.
So true - if you keep an open mind it's amazing the opportunities that'll come your way - how and whether you grab them is just part of the story...
Kirsty recently posted..At the Temple – Chennai, India
They sure do. Thanks Kirsty!
Wonderful post Justin. Sometimes others block our way and sometimes we block ourselves. Seems like getting out of our own way is the tougher hurdle most of the time.
Val in Real Life recently posted..Autumn Brilliance in the Smokies
Oh yeah, I get in my own way much more than anybody else does!
Asolutely true! Love your quote, "If you give yourself a chance to change, then you will start discovering new opportunities every day of your life." I wouldn't have guessed I'd be where I am now...and it wasn't a perfect or easy path to get here, but it was the only path, and it got me to a perfect place!
Living Outside of the Box recently posted..Morelia, Michoacán is Fruit City!
Yeah, you have to plan, but you can lay everything out before you either. You have to roll with the punches a bit. Nice you are in the perfect place now.
I love this! You've hit the nail on the head big time - just let it happen. It'll work.
Nancy from Family on Bikes recently posted..The making of an adventure mom: A look back at 28 years of marching to a different beat
It will work. It always does. Just work hard and stay positive and go with what comes your way. Works every time.
If I could go back 10 years and blueprint my life, it would look so very different to what has actually eventuated. I mean, I wouldn't have even dreamt of most of this stuff!!
The alternative to giving ourselves permission to change, is of course, to stay the same. And wouldn't that be boring!!
Thanks for a great post!
Jill - Going Anyway recently posted..Travel…. not what I thought
I don't know why anyone would want to stay the same. Not only is it boring, it's a waste. You got to let things happen. Got to give things a shot.
I love how over time we get to know one another better and better. You started an online business in China? You have little hidden corners, Justin...
So you started a business and it didn't work out. So what. I think one of the best things that can happen in life is to fail. Better yet, lose everything. Because when you fail and/or lose everything you wake up the next morning and you realize, "that wasn't so bad." For the rest of your life the fear of failure is gone.
Clark Vandeventer recently posted..What is love? Looking onward together in the same direction
Yep. I was teaching English and using my paid apartment as an office. Actually, it was very easy. Wasn't til I came back to the states that it got hard. It is never that bad unless you make it that bad. Failing is fine if you learn form it and get up again. That's the key. I think everyone knows this, but it can be tough to do.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeell yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!! Me likee!!!
Change can be scary but it usually brings cool things into our lives. See it, blue print it, then buid it!!
Gotta go for it!!! I just passed on another job offer to continue working form home making peanuts! I'm going all in whether we make it big or not!
Great article!!
Eddy F' Baez
That is it man! Lot's of peanuts. Your doing it. But work hard man, work hard!