Hello everyone,
I am writing this evening in hopes of being able to offer hope to some people who feel like they are at a low point right now. I know when I found out the news, I sure felt like my life was falling apart.
Just to give you a glimpse of who I was when I got the news, I was 21 years old and I was selling cars at a local dealership and doing pretty average. I was living with my parents in there house and was in a pretty crumby relationship. Using some of the money I made from the dealership I invested in some amateur recording gear in hopes of making a small home studio out of my bedroom. I enjoyed making music but I enjoyed recording music for my friends more than i enjoyed playing it and making it. I wasn't quite sure what i wanted to do with my life but I did enjoy aspects of my job as a salesman but the hours were tough, and upper management was lacking strong leadership so pretty much all of us were not happy working there. I did know one thing though, I wanted to become wealthy and successful, I mean, Who doesn't right?
Around June of 2007, my beloved San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship and a gentleman named Mitch got hired on at the dealership. He was about my fathers age and on his first day he told me that he wanted to start working again to "sharpen his sword" and to generate some extra income to go towards his daughters education at Baylor.
Mitch and I quickly became close friends, as the dealership is very self centered, Mitch and I gained common ground through our mutual love for helping others. He took to me because I was one of the few people that was willing to help him out on his first day, and I took to him because he always seemed to have the right advice for me regarding any situation I was going through. I soon discovered that Mitch was actually a lot more interesting than I had ever imagined...He had started his own businesses and sold them and started other companies and built them into a nice amount of revolving income for himself. Mitch was a true leader and I wanted to learn everything I could in hopes of bettering myself as a person.
Then it happened....
August of 2007 I was diagnosed with an AN after I went to the clinic complaining of a sharp piercing ringing in my right ear. They referred me to an ENT who recognized the symptoms but wasn't too quick to jump to that diagnosis, but had me go get an MRI the next day, sure enough we found the tumor. It was smaller than average but it was also growing onto my brain stem. Not sure if that is common or not but they removed my entire nerve (the procedure was behind my ear) and left me completely deaf from the right side and without the ability to use the right side of my face.
Dr. Bogaev, my neurologist said that he tested my facial nerve after the procedure and that it responded correctly, indicating that I should re-gain most of my facial movement.
I spent 7 days in the Neuro ICU before they transferred me to a normal room for a day or so, then allowed me to go home.
The doctor said typically, the recovery time for someone my age is 3-6 months. I was instructed not to attempt to drive for at least 2 months.
I don't typically follow the rules with anything and I was driving about 3.5 weeks after my surgery. I went back to work about 7 weeks after my operation. I was so bored and i was eager to get back to where I left off learning from Mitch.
During my off time, I got to reflect on my life quite a bit and I had the chance to make some decisions. I could let the fact that I couldn't hear anymore (and at the time even move half of my face) stop me from following my aspirations of wealth and success or I could continue where I left off and make the best of my situation.
Sure enough I went back to work and Mitch and I quickly picked up where I left off. He took me under his wing and had me study different personal growth books including those by Napoleon Hill and John Maxwell, and he mentored me in a way that no one was ever willing to.
By Summer of 2008 I was the most popular sales person at the dealershisp and was making the most money of any of the sales people, including those that had been there for many more years than myself. I was driving a new car, I purchased my first home at the age of 22 and I found the courage to step out of my crumby relationship. I owed it all to Mitch and even though I was deaf on one side, I decided to continue with my hobby of recording music.
My facial function had returned about 98% of the way, and I learned to zone out the never ending ringing I have in my deaf ear. I found comfort in sleeping on my good ear and shutting out all the sound of the world from my pillow. It's actually quite relaxing.
Then the recession hit...
Suddenly, neither myself or anyone else at the dealership was making the money we were used to making and I had a choice to make. Stick it out for an undetermined amount of time and hope that things get better OR get involved with something else.
Mitch had an opportunity present itself to him and decided to part ways with the dealership but our relationship never ended. In fact we got even closer. Inspired by Mitch, I decided to follow a dream...
I walked into work in November of 2008 and told my boss that it was my last day. I was going to start my own recording studio from my house and record music for a living. Many people said "but why? you're deaf, theres no way you're going to be able to hear anything properly!", and you know what, with that attitude, they are correct, BUT that wasn't MY attitude. My outlook due to my personal growth was that I could do anything I wanted the same way anyone else with normal stereo hearing could do, my attitude pushed me to believe my way to success.
In October of 2009, my home recording studio won an award in our local newspaper for "best recording studio in san antonio", beating several commercial studios and many other studios that had larger tenure than myself and better equipment.
i slowly upgraded my equipment and built my home studio up into a nice business. It wasn't easy and I had to make a lot of sacrifices but when I woke up in the morning I knew that nothing was going to stand in the way of my success and what I wanted.
I met my soul mate and we got married in May of 2010, she is absolutely perfect.
In May of this year I leased our first commercial studio location and now I have 2-3 interns and a few employees that work in my studio. I've been told that my work is amazing and is better than anyone else in our state, and I only hear from my left ear.
Last month an opportunity was presented to me by my buddy Mitch, an opportunity to co-found a new company and we are expecting it to be huge. I do believe that this new opportunity will put me one step closer to my goal of wealth and success, and you know what I have learned along the way?
If you believe without a shadow of a doubt that you will accomplish what you set your mind to, then there will be no one in the world that can stop you.
Thank you for taking the time to read through my story. My hope is that I can offer someone light in there moment of darkness, and offer some form of clarity that life will get better and that it will become as great as you allow it to be. Everyone gets dealt a different hand, but everyone has the same opportunity.
If anyone wants to personally reach me, please PM/email me here.
I would love to talk with anyone who is struggling with fears and doubts about there AN. I am here to help.
God Bless,
Clifton
