I made some huge changes in my life this year, some of which I’m still adjusting to. I stepped away from the percieved security of a corporate job I had for almost a quarter of a century to pursue my passion of writing and devoting all of my time to the HardFork Series.
We also got so much work done during my recent visit to New York City that I’ve decided to go back early next year, for an extended stay, to be closer to the core HardFork Series team. Amstel, our beagle, will inherit a new kingdom (Brooklyn).
During that trip to NYC in early December, @dougkarr surprised me with tickets to see JUNK at the Lincoln Center (which was amazing btw.) As we walked up the stairs of the subway into the hustle and bustle of Manhattan this calm descended on me and I realized my life had come full circle.
As we stood there looking at the windows of Macy’s department store decorated for the Holidays I caught my reflection. Graying hair and beard, wrinkles starting to appear. I remembered I last stood in that exact spot in 1994 when I was only twenty-three years old.
I made the trip from Columbus, Ohio to scout out places to live and Brooklyn was the area I was focused on. My plan was to move to the city to be closer to publishers and try to get established in my writing career. Needless to say, shortly after coming back home my life drastically changed and that dream never happened.
Just six months later I packed everything I owned into a 1991 Honda Civic and moved to Minnesota, and got a corporate job with a regional insurance company. For years I thought about how different my life would have been if I had made the decision to move to New York City and pursue my career. I no longer waste my time thinking about that.
You see, after I stepped away from that cubicle job this past October, my life began to make total sense. I had a kind of clarity that I never had experienced before. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Jump and the universe will provide the net?” Well, this is a real thing, I can promise you.
After over twenty years on “slow simmer” my life’s work is finally kicking into high gear. Quite serendipitously, I’ll be returning to the city my younger self dreamed about as a graying, middle-aged man. I’ve been through more than I care to recall in these past two decades. This older version of me realizes that life makes sense now and things do happen for a reason.
I am so excited to be working on the HardFork Series with such a talented team of individuals. Doug is, by far, the most dedicated and hardest working person I’ve ever worked with. With the vision and drive he and our team has, I have no doubt that we’ll accomplish our goal of getting this series made.
HardFork won’t be some cheesy Hollywood production that includes cryptocurrency and blockchain in the plot just because it’s gaining popularity. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and we aim to introduce this amazing sector to the larger public in the proper way.
WE, people who know and love blockchain and cryptocurrency, will have the opportunity to craft an honest and positive narrative that will diffuse the FUD that mainstream media so loves to spread. Why? Because cryptocurrency has changed our lives and we believe in it.
Another year is nearly upon us. As 2017 comes to a close really think about what it is you want out of 2018, meditate upon it, and...DIG DEEP. As 2017 has proven to me, anything is possible. Sometimes all we need is patience.
I wish you and your families a wonderful Holiday season! Thanks to you all for another amazing year on Steemit!
Please follow our official Steemit account for the film series @hardfork-series. Did you miss our last post? If so CLICK HERE to read it!
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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Steemit is such a great platform, a net, as you say, for making jumps like yours. I'm in the process of making a similar jump right now... maybe more of a hop. 😃 Thanks for inspiring me to dig deep, Eric - long before you ever made this post!
That is awesome! Best of luck to you in your coming changes! Thank you, always, for your kind words. Happy Holidays!
Oh, yes, my friend, what could be better when you are doing what you love, like you and if it happens in a friendly team of like-minded people! For this and I agree with you, you can just take and move to another city, state, country, if only to continue your favorite business! I really hope to get acquainted with your work in the future, so I wish you good luck and inspiration! Thanks @ericvancewalton and good Christmas!
Thank you so much for the support! Merry Christmas to you!
Its never late to make your life better by learning from past mistakes. Stay focused. Never give up. And good luck.
I agree with you that the crypto currency has completely changed the lives of many, and I myself feel it on my own and I really like it. Everything is good for you in a new life.
@ericvancewalton I think HardFork is the biggest change in your life! And a game changer at the same time! Wish you luck in all aspects of life. I will read The Perfect Pause and give you feedback!
Thank you once again for the HardFork project! @dougkarr
Highest Regards
@lordneroo
Thank you so much!
Hello again @ericvancewalton
You're a huge inspiration, I hope I can one day stop my traditional marketing job in order to pursue a crypto carreer... it's an area I'm so passionate about that I just want to dedicate all of my time to learning more!
This has the power to start a new chapter in History, and I want to be a part of it, this is part of the reason why I'm here on Steemit and focusing on developing some growth.
Cheers!
Thank you, @spiritualmax! I wish you all of the luck in the world in your next steps. Cryptocurrency is bringing greater freedom for so many. Steemit is an amazing platform to get started. Cheers!
I’m riding a similar (but different, though NYC-centric too) wave of life changes on the steem blockchain. Delightful reading yours. Welcome back to New York :)
Thank you @spectrums! NYC is such an amazing concentration of creativity, so inspiring. Best of luck to you in 2018. Merry Christmas!
Thank you, and same to you! Who knows—maybe we'll even cross paths IRL, once you're settled in here for a bit.
To 2018 🥂
I totally agree. It's hard to make the great leap forward. However, once you choose to quit the corporate 9-to-5, you'll never look back. Personally, I made the leap not so long ago and I must say that the freedom is amazing. There's nobody to dictate what you're supposed to do. I'm still building my Steem account to generate a potential future income stream.
Glad to read amazing stories like yours!
Thanks, you are so true...the freedom to follow you passions is incredible! I wish you success in 2018!
thanks! you too.
Best of luck with your project, enjoy Brooklyn, it’s a great place.
Thank you! Brooklyn certainly is a wonderful place. Merry Christmas!
I am a staunch believer that, if one is doing his best. things will happen in the order intended. Patience is such a difficult thing as we trudge through day by day working toward our dream and we only see the under side of a beautiful tapestry which represents our life. Then, at the designated time, things begin to happen and our dream is revealed coming together at last. Having Steemit as a"net" adds the finishing touch. All the best going forward and I anxiously await the Hardfork series.
I did not see you for a while, is everything okay with you?
Hey @dobartim! All is well, I've just been insanely busy.
An eventful year, 2017. I will compose a summary and post about it, I hope before the end of next week. It's a lot to write down. Thank you for the inspiration
You're welcome @gringalicious! Thanks for your wonderful contributions to Steemit. It was so nice to meet you and your father at SteemFest this year. Merry Christmas to you all!
@ericvancewalton, I am so pleased to hear that taking the plunge into the unknown has finally paid off for you. Stories like these are what I need right now to believe that anything is possible. I would love to see the series once out. Thank you as always for choosing to inspire.
Hard Fork is going to rock it. I have no doubt. Can't wait.
"Jump and the universe would provide the nest", very true..
My situation were different though, "You got kicked, universe still would provide the nest".. Lol
Yes, i got sacked from my Job twice, loads of politics in corporate over here, both i survived swiftly as God is always ever loving to shower me on next path...
Remember a time when just $1 left on my pocket and do not know how to survive for tomorrow with my wife, miracles would happen, the next day build my business to earn $2500/month by giving tuition for school kids, life goes on... :)
Wish you the abundance of luck on Hard Fork.. :)
This is inspiring to me. I don't want to rely on the security of a regular job, but want to have alternative income, especially in doing things that I like. I am glad you made it, and soon I hope to make it too.
I read this and nodded my head at every paragraph. So pleased your life has expanded so beautifully allowing for the fullness of who you are! It's a great satisfaction in my life these days to watch all of us rise up to greet the new opportunities of this changing world in such powerful ways and support each other as we go. Cheers Eric to digging deep, to all of the courage we've mustered up, and to the great year ahead, so glad to know you!
I appreciate your support and friendship @natureofbeing! Sorry my responses and messages have been slow and infrequent these days, it's only been because of lack of time. I hope you and your family have a great Holiday season and I'm looking forward to collaborating more in 2018!
congratulations dear friend @mervancewalton for the value you have had in leaving a job safe many years old, but believe me it is the best you could have done, nothing compares to do what you like and fulfill dreams that ever we have postponed.
I wish you the best of success!!! No doubt you will have it
I want to take advantage of the occasion to wish you happy holidays, surrounded by colleagues, friends and dear ones, that the child Jesus brings to your home and yours, Peace, prosperity happiness.
I love those stories which begin with the phrase " x time ago I decided to quit my normal job to pursuit my dream...". Wish you lots of success!
that is cool, i will always support you man!!!
Great shots its a life changing year for you still in the making ....
Excellent story my friend. You have worked hard and with focus and faith.
There is more good fortune and positive things coming your way.
Love you’re brother Juan.
Thank you @luckyfellow! We have both come such a long way since those days we had less than $100 for a 4 day trip to Chicago. 2018 will be a wonderful year for us. I'm looking forward to Montreal, we're going to have fun. Love you, brother!
That moment you describe of looking at yourself in the glass and seeing 23 years pass before you is priceless.
You have indeed jumped, and the net is showing itself sufficient for the big dreams you carry. It is a blessing and a joy to read about them.
Funny thing, we are entering my own dream of working from a laptop wherever I want and freeing my wife from a job to pursue her dreams. We have about 2-3 months I believe and she’ll be free. What a joy to live fully.
Congratulations on achieving your dream @lydon.sipe! Wonderful, man! Merry Christmas from our family to yours! May 2018 be blessed for us all!
i agree your post & thnx for sharing a beautiful post friend @ericvancewalton
Great work dear .
good story writing skill @ericvancewalton. i like your post and following. thanks for sharing.
good for you
gl in youre new job
not many people can do job what they like it
@resteemed
great work tbh.
great efforts @ericvancewalton, you really wrote very well by using your natural skills and i appreciated your work.
Steemit has change our lives in several areas, more people keep getting rich day by day
Hey sir @ericvancewalton
Your post is wonderful and nice article for steemians. Keep it up
Hardfork doing a great job and i hope 2018 year is going to be far better than 2017...good luck..
Beautiful article, nice pics, changes is necessary in life some time .
Awesome summary , thanks for define ur experience of life.
It is inspiring to read! Wish everyone to succeed and grow like you did. Just remember - do everything with love!
YES!
Love this and the serendipity of life....What a miraculous experience it can be.
I am super excited about @hardfork-series and also really love @dougkarr
So great to see you both working so well together. I would really like to be a part of the team. I have lots of energy to bring.
I hope this is the best year of your life and continues to keep getting better and better!
Full Steem Ahead!
It's such a killer thing to do... stepping away from corporate to make a positive impact on the world! Cheers to you, @ericvancewalton! It was in April of 2017 that I made the leap as well... Never looking back because living an extraordinary life is where it's at!