From 31 years to life….to LIFE

It was 4:30 a.m. when B and his girlfriend went to bed after a long night of partying.  Two hours later he woke to the sound of the door rattling.  He jumped out of bed as the SWAT team came barreling through his door.  DEA agents everywhere yelling from all over the house, red dots from the laser sights on their weapons bearing down on him.  B’s dog was barking….his girlfriend screaming.  He was dragged out of the house in cuffs barefoot…his feet bleeding from the rocks on the lawn.   It was chaos outside with more than 40 armor vehicles positioned around the house and a helicopter circling above.  He was cuffed for hours while DEA ransacked his house seizing money, jewelry, car, computer, bank cards, cell phone..everything of importance and value.  B remembers one agent taunting him with “you’re a popular guy.”   An overpowering sense of fear engulfed him.  “I was incredibly scared.  The feeling is indescribable,” B said. 

Facing Life in Prison

B was a bright, good-hearted kid who got mixed up with the wrong crowd, and subsequently, drugs in his early teens.  He began selling to supplement his usage.  Starting small (1/4 bags of weed and eight balls of coke), he quickly moved to kilos.   Hustling came easy to him.  B’s brain for business and work ethic proved to be beneficial in this line of business.  A few months before his 21^st birthday, B was arrested and spent a few months in federal prison.  Despite doing time, B went back to hustling after his release.  Fast forward almost ten years to the infamous morning of the raid.  B’s recreational use had spiraled into a heroin addiction.  His operation had tripled in scale.   Unbeknownst to B, he had been under DEA surveillance for two years as part of a larger investigation that centered around 250,000 hits of ecstasy and 50 kilos of coke.   He was not arrested that night but the feds confiscated his belongings in hopes they would find the evidence required for a prosecution.  If guilty, he faced life in prison.  With the feds having a 90% conviction rate, the odds didn’t look good for B.

The gods must have been watching over him.  The feds did not have the evidence and B was never charged.  He was fortunate to get another chance…and he took it this time!  This event became the defining moment for B, causing him to re-evaluate his life and ask the tough question:  What next?  B explained, “It was either go big or go back to school.  I wanted more in life so I chose a new direction.”

A Long Road Requires Perseverance

The journey was not quick or easy for B.  He describes it as emotionally draining, tiring, and unmotivating.   He was continuously fighting an uphill battle.  B continued, “I was trying to accomplish something that is extremely difficult, and most of the time, it felt like it was impossible.   It was hard getting up every day.  Change is good but there’s an associated emotion that comes along with it.  It’s painful.”

B dealt with his share of obstacles.  First, he had to kick one of the most difficult addictions to overcome.  Going back to school also posed challenges.  B entered a top state university at age 31.  Motivated and excited in the beginning, B quickly realized he was leaps and bounds behind everyone else.  He was playing catch up not only from an academic standpoint but on the technical side too.  He grew up in the “paper” era as compared to his peers who learned how to use computers in the 6^th grade.  B explained, “The first semester was hell.  I didn’t know how to ‘do’ school.  I was so behind on everything.”   Despite hurdles, B successfully stayed motivated and excelled in school.  “The worse I felt, the harder I pushed.   School kept me busy, kept my mind occupied,” he continued.  Four years later, B graduated with an engineering degree.  Looking for full-time work after graduation wasn’t easy either.  He was, in fact, a convicted felon.   Fortunately, a hiring manager recognized B’s true potential and gave him an opportunity.

Today – A New Life

B lived a dangerous life for almost 18 years but did a complete 180.  A lot has changed since the raid….a college graduate, home owner, manager of a 13-person team.  Today B is incredibly focused on advancing his career.  He’s moved onto a more prominent role with a fast-growing company, and is expanding his skill-set.   His new life is packed with more healthy and high-energy activities like weight lifting and mountain biking.   He’s certainly reaping the benefits of his hard work and perseverance.  When I ask about the intangible benefits, he responded, “being alive and having freedom for one.   The ability to relax and sleep peacefully – I can now shut my eyes without worrying about people beating down the door.   Also, great satisfaction comes from the fact that I am no longer hurting my family.”

How did he stay motivated despite setbacks?  “Determination, focus and a drive to achieve,” he said.   He never lost sight of the end goal and pushed himself to his limits no matter what happened along the way.  B continued, “That’s one thing about me.  In everything I do, I constantly strive to go farther whether it’s making jumps trail riding to building my bank account.  Quitting is not an option for me.  I don’t believe in cop outs.”

B is surprisingly humble when discussing his story.  During our two conversations, I had to remind him that his story is tremendously inspiring.  I have the utmost respect and admiration for what’s he accomplished, and regularly think about his story when I feel down and lack motivation.  Looking at his successes in relation to what he overcame is a true measure of his achievement.  I asked if he had anything to share with readers.

“No one can change unless they really want to.  I’m very stubborn.  No one could make me change — not my family…not the government.  In the end,   it was me wanting a better life for myself.  Once you commit, accept change and don’t let obstacles deter you from reaching your goals.”      – B