There has to be a reason things happen in this world. Tears are not my thing, but on that day it wasn’t a normal day. I sobbed and sobbed. Thankful that it was a phone call, cause I did not want anyone to see me.The life I was living was not fun. I felt all alone, and even my close friends didn’t seem to understand.

Dan had the words that made so much sense that afternoon. He is so professional and maybe because of his insight and training as a counselor, he was with me in a way no one has really listened to me in the past. The caring heart yet firm guidance came across with every word.

My closest friends said some weird words to me later that week. “It seems like everyone should have a Dan in their lives” they said. They were referencing my experience with that time with Dan on the phone. My whole being was moved to a deeper understanding that life is not how I was seeing it, and it came from how I emptied myself, and how Dan used wisdom, insight and caring to meet me where I was.

Our time came to an end, and I have the notes from our time together in a notebook. Currently I am not doing my online business, I am working a full time job as a manager at a local Resturant. The work is hard, and it pays the bills. I now have a 2 year plan that my wife and I put together. We work on it every weekend. She works full time. We have three children under 10. We both have weekends off, which was how I decided to reconnect with m wife and children. My focus has been to become the best father, worker, and husband I can be. I have three men I am accountable to for my deeper self, and I attend church regularly for my spiritual walk. Learning that my heart needed to feel accepted and cared for was so transformative. I was looking for validation outside myself. He taught me how to live from the inside out. It’s a basic life style we all want, but we sure don’t learn it in our growing up.

Now I am able to talk about who I am and express my true self. Life is so good, yet so scary. Practicing the simple skills I learned have been life changing. Thanks again Dan.

UPDATE——-

It’s been a little over two years since my last call with Dan. Our finances are doing well. My online business was launched one month ago. We have savings in the bank, live on a budget and have a new 2 year plan. I now know how to ask for help, how to say “no” and “yes” without drama, and what it feels like to have a life that is meaningful. Men get their esteem from their jobs and what they do for a living. That, as Dan taught me, is how it is. I learned and now practice how to separate family, friends, job and personal needs. I focus on what I need when I need it, and have come to understand that you can have a great life and still launch a business. It’s not a system, it is how to live from an open heart and transparent heart.

Maggie, my wife, never talked to Dan. She refers to him has “your coach.” You know, the one that opened your heart and now “you are so wonderful to live with!” Thanks Dan, and as Maggie would say “I have my John back.”