This is a big deal to me. Really, I think it should be a big deal to everyone. âNever quitâ can be applied to any aspect of your life. In the gym, at work, at home with your family, a marriage, a 3lb burrito food challenge (which I crushed), and so on.
Fresh out of college and full of ambition, I quickly realized that my college degree didnât mean as much as the majority of âadultsâ said it would. I didnât expect to make $100,000 right off the bat, but I thought Iâd be making more in a week than a monthly loan I promised to pay back after graduation (student loans). It was a crap job that I hated. Half punching numbers into a computer and the other half scanning barcodes in a warehouse freezer was definitely not what I went to school for. I never thought I was better than that job. In fact, I was thankful for the money every Friday. But, the working life had to be better.
My beautiful wife and I had our first child while I was at my first post college job. Diapers ainât cheap and wanting more for my family came natural. I called up an old employer that I had worked for during my breaks at Radford University. Thinking I would never go back, I quickly reconsidered because the money was better.
The hours sucked. Every night, every weekend, and long hours. I worked my way up the ladder fairly quick. From hourly employee,to management, to more responsibility, and finally leading the division with a couple supervisors under me. I advanced every 6 months. The hours got longer and the stress skyrocketed. One of my superiors (a man I loath even now) told me to forget my family and friends. I lived at work. No one could be trusted from the bottom up. Being home was rare and when I was, you could say I really wasnât. Too tired to pay attention and function. Too stressed to think straight. I worked 27 days straight once. Fourteen hour days during that time made me a little Iâll-tempered. Just imagine an angry junk yard dog that doesnât want to be woke up⊠And then you wake him up and he never goes back to sleep. Yeah, angry.
Finally, I got a break and was put on a shift with two other great supervisors. Nothing changed except the two guys I was given eventually became brothers. The hours were still long and the stress was still through the roof, but at least I had two loyal guys watching my six. Two people in the whole place I could trust. The problem with that situation became very apparent when our bosses didnât approve that we had each otherâs back. I went toe to toe on several occasions because I knew my guys were right and were being accused of ridiculous accusations. If thereâs one thing I hate, itâs being blamed for something I, or my guys, didnât do.
My shift churned out great production numbers. In the end, my team was still a massive piece of shit. If youâre told enough that you suck, eventually youâll start believing it. And, that mentality works itâs way into your home life. I was over weight at 260lbs, I was drinking 3-4 energy drinks a night, I wasnât being the best husband I could be(your spouse doesnât care for someone whoâs doom and gloom all the time), and most importantly I wasnât being the absolute best father I could be. Iâll remind you, I was never home and I missed a large part of my little girls early years because I lived at work. While all this was going on, one of my brothers told me he had another job lined up closer to home. I was so freaking proud that he was getting out in hopes that his life would be better. I knew there wouldnât be a suitable replacement and damn sure it wasnât going to be someone I trusted. As if that wasnât a big enough bummer, I got word from my other teammate that he was leaving for another job.
I remember coming home one day around 4am. I was worn out. I grabbed a couple hours of sleep and was awaken by a little girl that was full of energy. I got her dressed and took her to my dads house so I could get some shut eye. I must have been in a shit mood because my dad asked me, âwhat the hell is wrong with you?â Iâm sure I mumbled something about how terrible my job was. He replied with, âwell, what do you want to do in life? What is it that you want to do?â Without skipping a beat I said, âYou donât get to pick. You go to work and pay bills.â He didnât say another word after that. And Iâm glad. I guess I expected some woe-is-me reply. When I didnât get the response I wanted, my brain started churning for answers.
Knowing that the team I trusted was leaving, I began to ask questions about the jobs they were headed to. I wanted out as well, but was scared to put my family in a bad financial situation if things went south.
One day, the light bulb above my head turned on. I told myself that my family deserved better. My daughter deserved to see her daddy more. My wife deserved to see her husband more and have help raising our kid. What kind of person quits on there family? What kind of man doesnât try to be the best for his family? Those questions fueled the fire. I still ask myself those questions every day. I respond to myself, I WILL NOT QUIT. EVER. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE.
I decided to apply to a company I knew nothing about, with a skill I barely had any knowledge of. All I knew is that it paid well and it was Monday through Friday. I put in an application on Monday, was called in for an interview on Wednesday, and hired.
Before leaving my career I found out that my team of three would all be leaving within two weeks of each other and that I would still be working beside one of them. Things were looking up.
Remember that âNever Quitâ fire that was set off inside of me? Itâs a good thing that happened. My new job was/is the definition of Never Quit. Not only was welding required, but heavy lifting, decision making, strength, and speed were non-negotiable. Those qualities are a must.
The first month was hell. Unless youâre crab fishing on the Bering Sea, thereâs not a harder/more physical job. Bruises every day. My hands would lock up when I slept and had to be forced open (trigger fingers). I received five cortisone shots in both wrists and fingers. I dropped 30lbs in no time. I ate Aleave pills like they were going out of style. I saw people quit every day. However, quitting wasnât an option for me. If I quit, not only did I quit on myself, but more importantly, I would quit on my family. Any time I felt like slowing down I told myself, âStop being a bitch. Youâre freaking steel worker. Build joists and build them fast.â I now love what I do. Itâs awesome.
NEVER QUIT. It works. It will always work. It canât be taught. The fire canât be lit by someone else. It has to be YOU. Only you. Once you start the Never Quit mindset, you must not stop.
Now days I spend time with my family like a father should. I see them when I get home from work, I help put my kids in bed, I try to help out around the house (Iâm bad at cleaning), I get to see my beautiful wife, I stay in shape (frigginâ love the gym), and will Never Quit anything.
If you read this, thanks for hanging in. This story is nothing special. Itâs the every day âsuckâ of life. Embrace the suck. Kick its ass. Run through it. NEVER QUIT.
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