The 1 call that changed my life

My life changed the day he called me 4 years ago.

My feet crunched against the snow as I paced back and forth.

I squinted my eyes to shield them from the blinding sun bouncing off the snow.

The powder covered field was 100 kilometers away from the nearest town so the reception of the call cut in and out.

But his voice still came through on the call…

My best friend, Nate.

We talked many times over the phone, but this time was different.

I heard something I hadn’t heard in his voice before:

Concern.

Not for himself, but for me.

Because he knew the last 3 months leading up to that call had been rough for me:

• I worked 84-hour weeks as a medic on drilling sites on snow covered fields in the middle of nowhere

• I was isolated from all my friends and family

• My girlfriend had recently broke up with me because I was out of town for work too much

• I ate cookies and chips to feel “good,” so I became 30lb overweight (218lb as a 5ft 8 22-year-old)

I never asked Nate what prompted him to call that day…

But I think he knew I was at one of the lowest points of my life.

Because for the past 3 years, he and I constantly talked about our plans for the future.

We wanted to find a way to make money online so we could live a life of freedom.

Freedom to live where we want, buy what we want, and do what we want.

He managed to start a profitable online ecom business and bring in an extra $70K a year.

But there I was…

No purpose.

No business.

No happiness.

And worst of all, nobody around.

Sure, my bank account was rising from all the hours I was working, but it cost me my self-respect.

I was on the brink of depression from the isolation and declining health.

But Nate saved me with one phone call.

It wasn’t the words, but the empathy he had behind them.

He asked me if I was happy and if I thought I was on the right path.

It wasn’t until I heard myself tell him how lost I felt that my current situation became real for me.

I sacrificed my self-respect, health, and happiness.

And for what?

Digits on a screen?

I knew I was at a crossroad.

Either continue down the path that was soul-sucking (and making me a fatass).

Or…

Take the leap, start over, and pursue something more aligned with where I wanted to go.

So, on the call, I made the decision to go back to college and become a high school teacher.

I always enjoyed teaching others and seeing things ‘click’ for them.

And although there wasn’t much money in it, I knew it would be rewarding.

Now, spoiler alert…

Although I went back to college a few months later, I never actually became a teacher.

I stumbled upon Twitter and was learning more on there than I was in school.

Again, I was faced with the scary decision of taking the leap and going all in on something new.

I knew college and a job would always be an option for me, this opportunity with social media wouldn’t be.

So I dropped out after that semester and went all in on social media and building an online business with ghostwriting.

You can probably guess how it turned out…

But the reason I tell you this story isn’t to tell you some zero to hero story.

It’s to show you that we often are just going through the motions in life.

Go to school…

Get a job…

Save up and get a mortgage on a house…

Sure, we might be comfortable, but we’re not fulfilled.

Hell, we don’t even realize it until we start asking questions.

• Am I happy?

• Am I healthy?

• Is my work aligned with my purpose?

You might not be as lucky as I was and have a friend call you up to make you ask yourself those tough questions.

And that’s why I’m writing to you today.

I want to be that friend.

The start of 2024 is a great time to sit down and ask yourself those questions, and ultimately, if you’re on the right path in life.

We often never ask ourselves the tough questions because answering them will make the situation real.

But it’s the fear and pain that often motivates us to make a change in our lives.

So, my friend, I encourage you to take 1 hour and ask yourself those tough questions.

It might just change your life.

Your Canadian friend,

Dakota “Fuck The Cold” Robertson