In this article I am going to take a step back from the standard learn about how to take advantage of the Internet for your business and cover how a widow maker heart attack can change your life and help you help others around you. A life altering even can easily change those around you to make your life more fulfilling than it was before.
Between 8-10pm on the February 7th of 2015 I had a major heart attack. This was one of the most serious versions of one as I didn't go in immediately or even “soon” to take care of it. I thought I was just having an asthma attack. It wasn't until the 8th in the late afternoon (after 3pm) did I go in and see about getting some help as my beautiful wife Holly Marx made me. I will be ever indebted to her for that. It was truly a life altering event. Everything instantly came into perspective, the stars were all aligned, and I knew I had to make some serious changes not only for myself but my new family.
The first item of choice I told myself was this was not going to change me. I was truly wrong about that. I joke about the heart attack and I laugh at it as I feel I've been given another chance. I did change though and I feel the change has been for the better. I enjoy life now more fully than I did before knowing that my time here is truly limited and I will not live forever. I also eat healthier (well mostly – everything in moderation). My stress is definitely higher than it was before as I do worry about not being there tomorrow for my family and loved ones. I am also thankful each and every morning that I woke up and get to spend another day on this beautiful planet.
Family was and will always be important to me. It is my reason for living and what truly makes me happy as well as pushes me forward to do better each day. It is waking up and then coming home after a hard day's work that makes me truly feel blessed inside knowing I have such a great support group waiting for me. Like all families there are ups and downs but that is what truly makes it a family. We all support each other in the decisions that we make.
The biggest decision happened on the anniversary of JM2 Webdesigners in March (a month after the heart attack). We knew that one item that was truly killing me was working for a large corporation and not making a difference. Sure I made a difference for the corporation and their big clients but that did not make me happy. This was one of the best companies I had ever worked for as well. They have great values, give back, and do make a difference for large companies. I wanted to help the small to mid-size businesses grow though. That is where my passion truly is. Being at a large organization that supported other large organizations I could never achieve my life ambitions. I wanted (no needed) to do something positive that made me feel good inside. I wanted to give back. Giving up a guaranteed paycheck, taking a huge (60+%) pay cut was the hardest part of the decision making process. Somedays I still question this decision but know and feel good about the decision that I made. Since that decision we have helped 67 businesses grow and expand with more added each week. Every time we add a new customer I think about the difference that we've made to help someone grow.
With everything that I've said above the key for me is that in life we have many decisions and choices. We can have events happen in our life that will affect us positively or negatively. If we choose the positive and have a great support group behind us, we can achieve anything. When you marry someone you don't say I will give 50%. What you say is I will give 100% and so does the other. It is only when we stop giving 100% of our all that something fails. I love my wife and thankful for all of her support in supporting my dream and being an integral part of that dream.