I used to be __________________, but now I’m _________________.

Growing up, especially in my high school days, I was very passionate about finding my identity in something that I could truly latch onto and to make my mark on the world. In a very insightful documentary by CNN about Steve Jobs called, “Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine,” Steve Jobs talked about the very early days when he became enveloped in the business of technology, before Apple and Atari. He had discovered this ability to hack the worldwide telephone network and make long-distance (remember that?) phone calls for free and made the comment that he was able to use this device called a “blue box” to control hundreds of billions of dollars of communications infrastructure. He stated that his awareness in this process was that, basically, we have the power to influence the world with this thing.

It’s not about control. It’s not about having all the right people and resources at your disposal. It’s about finding that one thing for now that you are absolutely passionate about and going all in on that, now.

I want to be transparent in saying that I’ve had only minimal success in the three years since I quit my full-time job with benefits and decent pay, in trying to “go all in” on my business as a technology consultant. I want to make sure you understand, however, that nothing gives me greater joy in a professional capacity than the opportunity to share my vast knowledge and experience with technology and help someone who doesn’t have the time or interest in being an expert with their iPhone or computer, etc…

To get someone to agree to pay you to teach them or help figure out and resolve an issue with whatever device or software they are struggling with is a relatively easy process to monetize if you go after it with all your energy. So that begs the question of why I have only managed to secure a good relationship with one non-profit organization that looks to me for all the answers to their issues with technology? To be honest, I have made the commitment to take this valuable set of skills and experience and use it to help others. But what I’ve realized in this process is that my passion has to be so intense and I have to get fired up (or angry) with the status quo of people being content to “deal” with their problems and suffer and do what I can to influence and serve those groups of people that are genuinely desperate for a solution. The problem is that they’re not going to come to me. I have to chase after them and make it such that the solutions I can provide will be more than worth their investment in that solution.

Where I struggle is that I feel my life is more than just teaching someone how to connect their printer to their iPhone so they can print an email directly from their phone or teach them how to make their old computer faster with more memory and install the necessary software to prevent viruses from attack their sensitive data.

Fifteen years ago, in the midst of half-heartedly asking God to give me a glimpse of what His purpose for my life was, He was already orchestrating circumstances and events that eventually made sense as I looked back years later. Yes, I found myself, twice, on the wrong side of the law, arrested and having to suffer the consequences of my actions and decisions. I’ve also experienced many losses of friendships, even as recent as the past few years, because I was selfish or stupid and I had to allow God to heal those wounds in order for me to grow and become better because of those situations. As I matured, if you want to call it that, it became clear that my rebellious tendencies needed to be shed and that I had to have a major paradigm shift (not to mention behavior shift) in order to redeem myself from what could potentially turn into a life of trouble and sorrow. I had to turn my life around, in simpler terms, and use these negative experiences in a positive way to make an impact on those people I would later have the opportunity to influence and help to avoid the same pitfalls I had experienced.

For the past four years, I have been working on a few things that, in God’s timing, will allow me to eventually pursue this mission He has called me to.

The time for me is now to begin setting the stage to go beyond just the worldly purpose of fixing computers and draw deeper meaning from my life. Through several years of research and prayer, I have taken the steps necessary to begin the process of building an audience, starting with this blog, but now in 2018, by way of podcasting. This is the most unconventional way for an introvert like myself to follow in the steps that God has laid out before me, but in reflecting on where my conversations with Him have brought me today, the Lord is calling me out to make His story known, by using the story and experiences that He’s given me. This podcast will be a much easier and more appealing medium to share content and inspiration in order to allow Him to use me to bring others to a better relationship and faith in Him. I will be interviewing close friends, as well as people who have stories like mine and wisdom to share that will help you in your own journey.

In an effort to make this not-so self-centered, this podcast will feature mostly faith-centered stories and lessons, as well as practical steps you can take with each episode to help you move in the right direction in your own life. It is with a sense of high anticipation that you will be entertained as well as challenged, and you will also have the opportunity to interact with the podcast content and have your voice heard. Initially, as I move forward with this new season of my journey, I will launch a new episode of the podcast every two weeks and each episode will last approximately 20-30 minutes, more or less. I currently have 20+ guests in the pipeline and more to come as the year progresses. Some of the interviews will be available via livestream on Instagram and Facebook, which will give you the ability to chime in and ask questions live and get answers in real time. In moving to every two weeks, this blog will have posts containing the audio recordings of my conversations with these great guests available for you to listen to on-demand and also be able to access any and all resources discussed in each episode. These will be called “Show Notes” and you will be able to share the episode and notes with family and friends across your social media accounts!

Production is beginning soon and I will keep you up to date about when the first episode will be available. I’m very excited about what God has planned for this podcast and the future of this site and I am praying fervently that God will use it for good. If you have any interest in being on the podcast and sharing part of your story, please email me at mgwilliams410@icloud.com and I will respond within 24 hours.