I Quit!

In January 2022, at the age of 29, I chose to finally end the toxic & unpromising relationship I had been in for 2 years. This decision and my lifestyle eventually led me to write and publish my first book, Start Waiting With God. In 2024, I repurposed this book and renamed it, This Is Private Property. Eventually, I found myself traveling, taking up new hobbies, dating again, and being excited about life.

During the 2023, life was good. I was enjoying myself as a teacher at Brame Middle School in Louisiana. I was also writing blogs, writing two books, and enjoying life as a bachelor. Then one day, I got contacted by a familiar voice—my daughter’s mother. Our relationship had been strained after our divorce which made it difficult for me to be close to my daughter, Chyanne. That summer, I made 2 trips to South Carolina. I drove 13 hours on the first trip. On the second trip, I flew. Eventually, I decided that I was going to relocate back to South Carolina to be closer to my daughter who was 3 years old at the time & co-parent. With a lot of patience and faith, my prayers were finally answered.

Press Pause

However, in January 2024, I contacted a recruiter for the school district I would work for once I relocated back to Charleston, SC. Upon doing that, I discovered that before I could start interviewing and solidifying a job, I would need to take and pass (4) Praxis tests. This meant that I was going to have to study and pass the Math (5003), Reading (5002), Social Studies (5004), and Science (5005) subtests. The other suggestion was to take the Early Childhood test which I declined because working with kindergartners is a different level of patience I do not possess.

I had only 5 months to do this. So, right away, I began studying which pretty much put an end to my ability to engage in dating, traveling, & having the social life I had before. Furthermore, studying for these tests also prevented me from being an author. There was just too much going on! Every day after work, I would study for 2 to 3 hours. On the weekend, before eating breakfast or turning on IDGO, I would study. I devoted myself and remained disciplined despite knowing that my last few months in Louisiana weren’t being spent the way I had planned.

However, in February 2024, I passed the Reading test with a score of 176. In March, I passed the Science test scoring 161. Finally, in May, I passed the Social Studies test scoring 164. What about math? Well, after taking the test & failing twice, I was finally about to pass the Math scoring a 166. I managed to pass this test in the last week of school. I can recall driving to Natchitoches, LA, a site different from the previous tests, passing the test, and rushing back to enjoy the remainder of Field Day with my kids. Not only did I pass all (4) tests within 5 months, but I also got hired on the first interview which was a Zoom meeting. Hard work truly does pay off. During this time I quit writing blogs, took a break from my books, and didn’t work on the website I had built at the time. I would later have to start all over again, tweak, revise, and re-launch!

Press Play

In May 2024, I relocated back to Charleston, SC, moved into a 2-bedroom luxury apartment, and began working at a middle school. My salary was over $60,000 which for me was a major step in my career at the age of 31. But, the journey wasn’t easy. I endured a lot of setbacks, financially, mentally, and emotionally.

Then in November 2024, I decided to go back to writing. I made some revisions, repurposed my books, and relaunched my website. I had always been passionate about being an author but studying & relocating 13 hours away simply took over my focus. But, as Richard Bach once stated, "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it was never meant to be.” Writing has always been with me; it is simply one of those things I will never be able to shake loose.

Moral of the story

Sometimes, we have to quit, pause, and start over before we can manifest the life we want. There is hardly ever a one-shot deal in life! Sometimes we what thought was going to one way ends up going a completely different direction. Why we quit or pause doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you START AGAIN. It is NEVER too late.