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Written by Michael Weaver | Follow me on Twitter | Free updates via Email.

If you are new to this site, F.I.T. is my acronym for F.ind I.nspiration T.oday. This goal of this site is to provide wonderful people all over the world with perspective, techniques, strategies, and all-things personal development with a lean towards finding inspiration in our daily lives and within ourselves. I’ve been writing on and off now for about six months, and I’m to a point where I really want to open up a bit to my readers and give them a little more insight into how this got started, who I am and some of the things I am passionate about.

I Was Laid Off. So, F.I.T. Was Born.

It’s rare that I find myself bored, but I must admit that when I was laid off last May I was searching for something productive, meaningful and new to do with my time. I’m grateful that I have something within me that drives me to create instead of take a do-nothing or a wait-and-see approach. This is why F.I.T. came about. Three years after I graduated from college I found myself laid off. I wasn’t exactly excited about what I had been trading my time for over the past three years, nor was I excited about the prospects of the local job market. So in this new stage of not having a job – I decided to be deliberate about what I did with my new-found free time. I read books, I read stuff online and I looked for jobs. I looked for jobs because I had to – damn student loans, rent, etc! But, I was intentionally reading stories of personal inspiration, people going from zero to success – and about people that have found a non-traditional way to do what they love and pursue their passions for a living.

After focusing my time and attention on others, I realized I needed to ask myself a couple questions that would have the potential to take my life down a new path. So I took a step back to focus on myself. I began to ponder some soul-searching questions.

• What am I passionate about?
• How can I get creative and turn my passions into something I can do everyday?

So after spending a substantial amount of time thinking about these questions, jotting down lots of notes, and addressing many offshoots and branches of these questions – a mental picture started to come into focus, slowly.

My Passions Were The Starting Point

This wasn’t an easy question for me to answer off the bat – and I think it was because I simply hadn’t truly thought about it in quite some time. When you grow up, for many of you, life has it’s natural progressions and steps that you follow. High school, college, graduate from college and then get a job in your field. Or, at least that’s how it went in my world – until the lay off.

A culmination of readings and reflections blessed me with a new mindset predicated upon opportunity. I figured, if I didn’t have a job, I must of had at least an opportunity. I didn’t know what the opportunity was, but I knew it was there.

Then the paper came out. I knew that I had to start getting my thoughts down on paper. The first order of business was to nail down my true passions. When the writing stopped, I had the below five passions down on paper (not including personal relationships, family, etc. – I’ll get to that)

Traveling.
I’d say I’ve traveled a bit more than the average person. I’ve called 4 states home throughout my childhood, have traveled to 24 states (I must admit, I can’t believe how much of our country I have never seen!), and have spent time in 12 countries. I love to travel and believe there is much personal growth to be gained from it. Ideally, I’d either like to travel and be able to maintain an income or become financially secure to travel freely.

Adventure.
Of course, this went right along with my passion for traveling. I get so excited when I know I’m even traveling to a city I’ve never seen before, let alone an entirely new country! Once you’ve gained some unique experiences, you realize how much joy, memories and life lessons can be derived from it. I’ve never been the type of person to really stick to a routine. I like to change things up. I like to be adventurous.

Freedom.
Recently, I’ve developed an appreciation for having the freedom to make choices and go down a path that I choose. As I reflected and learned more about courageous and unique individuals who have chosen to follow their passions regardless of what it takes – I realized that none of it would be possible if we didn’t have all this freedom. The more I embraced how great it is that each of us (I’m hoping) lives in a country that allows us to pursue the best life possible – I become more inspired to focus on what I truly want out of life. A big part of my outlook on life is directly related to having freedom.

Helping. Somehow.
I’ve always enjoyed being a helpful person – whether it’s giving someone advice in a personal matter or simply holding the door open for someone I’ve never met. The other day I was at the grocery and an old lady asked me if I could put a bag of dog food into her cart – and I felt a great sense of enjoyment in being able to help out. Since being laid off, I’ve taken a role in sales, so I’m often out and about meeting new people and I seem to find little situations where I can do something small, something extra to be helpful. I’m a strong believer in the “giver’s gain” philosophy. I realized I have a certain, almost undefinable passion for helping and positively influencing others.

College Football.
Last and during the fall season, certainly not least. My passion for this was instilled in me as a kid – and I tell people I didn’t have a choice in the matter. Nevertheless, my passion for the sport of college football runs deep. In particularly, the University of Michigan. There’s no greater day for me than a fall Saturday spent in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I’ve often found myself envious of sportswriters and broadcasters, because they get to live and write about the sport. When I got this on paper, I knew there had to be a way to do something with my passion. So, I eventually decided to create a place to spill some of my passion at MGoFootball.com. Go Blue baby!

Passions? Check. Now What?

I have always enjoyed and felt confident in my ability to gather my thoughts and write. I even, at times, have wished that I went into journalism to pursue a career in becoming a sportswriter. I began to sense that, while unemployed, blogging was a no-brainer. I went to the library and borrowed an insanely thick book on how to create a website from scratch by learning several website programming languages. I probably burned 20-30 hours learning various programming languages and how to create a website from scratch. Then, I learned of WordPress, Blogger and other content management systems that make blogging a breeze for anybody. Let me tell you, that programming book went straight back to the library!

But, what I learned from that book has proved to have been very useful. I’ve saved a lot of time and have been able to get F.I.T. to a point where I am content with it’s design and general layout. I bring this up because it’s a lesson that holds merit. If you want to give something a shot, or try something totally new to you – learn what you can about the nuts and bolts, the details, so you can move forward with all the confidence and tools you need to succeed.

With limited financial resources, I decided that starting a blog or two was a way for me to get started without delay, as you can create a blog for free.

MGoFootball.
Creating my own blog about Michigan football was the immediate answer for me in terms of pursuing my passion for college football – and I’m glad I did it. I’ve made relationships with a lot of people that share the same passion and interest as I do.

F.I.T.
This puppy takes the bacon for me. This site has quickly turned into my true passion over the last six months or so. I started out under the assumption that I would share some of my favorite quotes and probably spend most of my time writing for my college football blog. I was wrong! It didn’t take long to realize that I have uncovered something I truly enjoy doing.

It’s a gratifying feeling to know that the words and thoughts I share are being read and digested by people from all walks of life and all over the world.

I am confident in saying that F.I.T. has the ability to change the world. Personal experiences and stories that we hear shape and mold our lives to their current form. Stories hold power. Stories are change agents for a better future. It’s for those reasons I have put out a CALL TO ACTION. My goal is to share as many powerful, life-changing stories as I can on F.I.T.

I’ve read many books and follow several blogs that are absolutely changing the world. Writing is powerful – and it changes lives.

I soon plan to write more about my intentions and goals for F.I.T…stay tuned if you’d like!

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Image by acorsi.

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Thanks for reading!!

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