Every little thing is going to be all right

May 15, 2009 by Johnny
Filed under: Inspiration & motivation, Life of Johnny 

Okay, re-reading this post about how I was “mad as hell” makes me wince. Not because it reminds me of all of the shit that’s in it, but because it embarrasses me to have exposed myself so fully.

And that’s a really, really good thing, because you only regret making yourself vulnerable when you no longer feel you are vulnerable. It’s the same reason you don’t feel dumb being drunk while you’re still drunk, and why you only feel stupid for getting all gay* over a girl after you’re sick of her.

(*I can use the term “gay over a girl” here and still be a tolerant person because gay women will think I’m being literal, and gay men will just get all confused.)

In any event, that post wouldn’t embarrass me if I still felt the way I did when I wrote it. Which means that I sort of have a success story to report here.

Let me take you five weeks back in time.

It was March 25th, toward the end of what felt like the longest, darkest, most depressing winter ever. I was waiting for a call from Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz, whom I’d recently pitched what I thought was a very cool idea: I’d prove, by demonstration, that her Online Business School could help make money for someone who had never made a cent online before. I’d document my progress as a guest columnist on her blog. We’d both win — I’d get the exposure and coaching, and she’d get free content and a very visible success story.

Or at least, I hoped that was how it would work out.

See, I’d pitched this OBS idea, and I wanted to believe it would change things. A deep part of me really did believe it, but the current pressing concerns were so… so pressing.

Anyway, on that day, Naomi had gotten the time zones all fucked up again (we’re both time zone retarded) and a bit after 11am, which is when I thought she’d call, I found myself with time to kill and no real idea how to kill it… except to do some of the worrying I’d neglected that morning. I thought about my real estate shit. Thought about it some more. I got an email from my property manager that just seemed to jab me in the ribs: How are you going to fix this? Huh? Huh? Can you even fix it?

And I just got pissed — about my real estate sinkhole, about everything. Pissed that nothing was working. Pissed that I felt like I was on a treadmill that was going nowhere. Pissed and daunted that the obstacles ahead of me were so huge — that even if I could manage to keep them from crushing me, there seemed to be no way I could actually get past them. I had a bunch of shit properties and none of them would improve much any time soon. I was scrambling to get as much work as I possibly could, but all that did was stress me out; if I could find the work, I’d spend innumerable hours doing it — but if I couldn’t, I’d spend those same hours worrying and feeling sick. Neither way was any fun.

As I sat there waiting — frustrated, worried, and most of all steaming mad — I got it into my head to write that post. That manifesto.

Writing it was a strange, strange experience. Even as I was composing it, I felt as if I were writing from the future, looking back. It was as if I were writing it as a record of how bad I felt, so that I could remember it when that feeling and that time became the “before” in a Horatio Alger story. I was still plenty scared, plenty worried, plenty angry. But something had changed; I felt like I was taking my stand. I was saying to the world, “I won’t put up with this anymore.” I was telling the universe… well… I was telling it the exact title of that post.

Now, let’s all come back to the present time.

It’s been five weeks. In that time, I started an online business. That business made just under $3000 in its first month. That’s three grand from a brand new venture, on top of what I made doing my job. That Online Business School experiment? It did work — and it worked a lot better and a lot faster than expected.

It’s going to be all right.

It’s going to be all right.

It’s going to be okay after all, just as a part of me always knew that it would.

And now you’re probably thinking, I’m happy for you, Johnny. But other than self-aggrandizement, why are you telling me all of this?

Well for one, it’s simply an update. I’m letting you know how that manifesto post is turning out.

But secondly — and more importantly — I’m hoping to make a point about how will and dedication (combined with education and action) really can force a change.

And thirdly, more simply, I’m hoping to convey at least a little bit of inspiration to anyone who is struggling.

And on that I say: Never give up. Never lose hope. There’s a whole lot of people out there in shitty situations, and a whole lot of them are every bit as pissed and scared as I was, or more. So never give up as you face your demons. Never lose hope.

If you’re in a shitty situation, I want you to read my old post, and then read this one. Then remind yourself that only five weeks separate the two.

I want to remind you that when change happens, it happens in an instant. The trick is that you never know when that instant will come, so you have to keep your shit together. You have to have faith. You have to keep moving in the direction you know you’re supposed to go. Just when it looks like you’re totally fucked? That could be your moment. And if you lose your shit and give up? Well, then you’ll never know it.

But Johnny, you may be saying. You got lucky. You knew Naomi Dunford.

No.

No, I did not.

I do now, but six months ago, I had no idea who she was. What’s more, nobody online knew who I was, either. If you haven’t figured this out yet, I don’t write under my real name. Six months ago, “Johnny B. Truant” did not even exist. He wasn’t a power broker with connections out the ass. He was nothing. He was a phantom. If Johnny could come from the aether and make friends with people who could help him, so can you. You at least exist. Johnny did not.

Yes, Naomi’s help saved my ass. But she’s not my sister. I didn’t move into the apartment next to her or run into her at the supermarket. I met her solely by doing my craft and by doing what I was always meant to do with my life — which was to write.

I wrote to entertain people, to make their days a bit brighter. I wrote to offer a counterpoint to the negative news machine, to remind people that life can always be amazing and funny. You do what you’re supposed to do with your life, always. You never waver. If you do that, you will find your people. And when you do, it will not be luck.

Finding your people is not luck. It is a natural outgrowth of being genuine to yourself and taking action like a motherfucker.

We make our own luck. We make it by taking consistent action and never, ever wavering. Eventually, preparedness is going to meet opportunity. You’ll be “lucky” because you were going to keep working until something good happened. If you stand in one place long enough, there’s a very slight chance that lightning may strike you. But if you go flying in a grounded metal aircraft during a thunderstorm, your chances are a lot better. You do what you can to improve your odds. And you do it over and over and over again.

Five weeks. And the outlook looks oh so different.

I love writing for IttyBiz, and I love those readers. Yesterday, Clay Collins’ Project Mojave debuted, and I’m quite proud to be one of its five faculty members, along with four other pretty big names that I don’t think I’m allowed to announce yet. (You really need to go check that out and get on the mailing list, by the way. Clay will announce those impressive names shortly, I imagine.) I have about a thousand ideas in mind for my young business. I have more “lucky connections” waiting to be made. The future is looking bright.

This from the guy who was so, so angry. So fed up. So worried.

So for anyone who is scared, mad, and frustrated: I get it.

For anyone who is tired of fighting, tired of worrying, and just… tired: I get it.

For anyone who is at the bottom of that pit, I’m telling you that you just have to hang on. You have to have faith. That’s the worst advice ever, because even if you believe it, you don’t really believe it. Faith is slippery. If you have evidence that makes you believe, it’s not faith. It’s only faith when you believe when there is no reason to believe. That’s faith. Oh, and they call that same thing “being an idiot.” It’s a fine line, you see.

The thing is, we only change when we have no choice, and it’s only a change inside of US that makes external change possible. So many people have only seen true results after they hit a point where something had to change, and they could change it, and they had to change it. Things changed when not changing would damn near kill them.

During this past dark December, someone on Twitter linked to an IttyBiz post I can no longer find. She gave the link and said, “I’m not ashamed to admit that this post made me cry.” It was Naomi’s story, about how she was once homeless, how she got pregnant at like 17, how she miscarried during a subsequent pregnancy. About how nobody thought this poor dumb kid would make it. And of course, she did make it.

That was the first I’d ever heard of IttyBiz. Somehow, I remember that post being tied to the Online Business School. So I asked my mom to get me OBS for Christmas and I officially got the weirdest present around that particular tree. I watched and listened to it. I worked it. And I emailed Naomi with a bunch of questions. And she answered. And I wrote my shit. And she read my shit. And then, and then, and then.

Look, I barely know the point of this post. Is it to brag? Shit, I hope I’m not that shallow. Is it to tell you to buy Online Business School? No, because to do so would be misleading. There is no magic bullet. No lie, OBS is a fantastic set of tools, and I wouldn’t be here without it. As I said, it without question saved my ass. It gave me the knowledge I needed to convert all of my determination and drive into a real plan. But will OBS make you rich or solve your problems? No, of course not. It will help, but only you can actually make it all happen.

Is the point of this post to inspire?

Well, that’s the closest. I’ve gotten a lot of good news lately. When my own good news was in short supply, I loved to hear about good things happening to others because it reminded me that good news was still out there. And God knows we need it in these times.

Really, that’s always been my point with this site. When the world feeds you crap, you can always find a way to laugh at it. There is always something hilarious in everything, I think. The name of this site isn’t “The Economy Isn’t Happening” by accident. You may be unable to pay your mortgage, but take ten minutes to hang out with me and laugh so that for a while, the fucking economy won’t be the only thing happening in your life.

So yes, I hope I can make people feel better. I hope I can inspire people to find the determination I found and continue to find (because I’m certainly not out of this yet), and to do something ballsy and brave. Like start working on your own little online empire, maybe — but that’s if and only if you have the guts and will to do your part.

In my manifesto post, I wrote, “I got myself into this, and the only way out is to become the writer I always said I’d become.”

It’s interesting that that is exactly the path I took, and that I needed to take. All of today’s good news has come from me putting words together on a screen. So that was the key after all. Writing is why I’m here. It’s my purpose.

Just like the Keymaker said in the second Matrix movie, about his own purpose, before riding the wrong way down a freeway on a crotchrocket with Carrie-Anne Moss. The second is the best of the three Matrix movies. Fuck off if you don’t agree with me.

So are you inspired? Spectacular. Now go do something good.

 

 

 

RELATED POSTS:

  1. What faith has to do with Martin Scorsese and his detachable penis
  2. The answer to why the Economy Isn’t Happening
  3. I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!

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Comments

28 Comments on Every little thing is going to be all right

  1. kelly on Fri, 15th May 2009 12:01 pm

    2. exactly what I needed to hear at this very low moment. I follow @IttyBiz on Twitter and saw her link to your post… fantastic. I love your writing style and look forward to digging in here after I go plant some more potatoes in the garden. Staying in action and all that… Cheers!

  2. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 15th May 2009 1:40 pm

    3. Thanks! Just so long as you realize that such serious interludes are the exception, not the rule.

    Go plant those potatoes. Mmm, potatoes.

  3. Mary Anne Fisher on Fri, 15th May 2009 2:00 pm

    4. Killer post! You’re an excellent writer and your unique voice comes through loud and clear. I really like the look and feel of this site, too.

    Congrats on your affiliation with Project Mojave. Can’t wait to hear about *where* you’re going to be a year from now. I wish you all the best.

  4. Mike Drips on Fri, 15th May 2009 3:36 pm

    5. I am really happy to hear that Johnny is making money! Granted, I’m not as happy as Mrs. Johnny, her parents, his parents, Sid the loan shark, Johnny’s bookie, Johnny’s property management company, well come to think of it I am probably way down on the list of people that are happy for Johnny.
    I too follow Naomi and IttyBiz, although I was the first person ever expelled from her Online Business School. Naomi and I still talk about zombies though and her recent podcast with Simone of Copyblogger discussing eyebrow herpes and enchiladas was inspiring. ? I did NOT make that up!
    I have also, on Johnny’s advice visited Project Mohave and can honestly say that Clay looks better without the moustache. In fact he should avoid any attempt at facial hair altogether. His site is good and you should either visit it and watch his video or sell your computer.
    Will Johnny’s success continue or will it be a flash in the pan? Think about it and then decide which of these scenarios is most likely. Both take place in the distant future by Johnny’s grave:
    Scenario A: (Johnny’s kids speaking):
    “Doesn’t the Trevi Fountain look great above Dad’s grave?”
    “Yeah but the Italians are still really mad.”
    “Hey, we got the Pope’s blessing to remove it from Rome, didn’t we?”
    “Yeah after we bribed the bastard.”
    “Wanna race me back to the limo?”
    Scenario B: (Johnny’s kids speaking):
    “Quit pushing! We can’t piss on dad’s grave until Mom is done!”
    “Mom, are you leaving him a Post-It note again? He’s DEAD for God’s sake!”
    “Come on, Mom, hurry up. We want to get a dry sleeping spot under the bridge tonight.”
    So all of you need to work extra hard to have one of these two scenarios actually happen.
    Which scenario you prefer is up to you.
    Resuming radio silence….

  5. Sonia Simone on Fri, 15th May 2009 5:08 pm

    6. Woot! This just rocks. That’s all.

  6. Lisa Baldwin on Fri, 15th May 2009 5:27 pm

    7. Johnny, this kicks all kinds of ass.

  7. Daniel Edlen on Fri, 15th May 2009 5:48 pm

    8. Echoing Mary Anne and Sonia, this is really really ok. No, um trying again… really really really good. Yeah, that’s it. Good. Perfect actually, as all things good are when they are truth.

    Peace.
    @vinylart

  8. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 15th May 2009 9:47 pm

    9. Thanks, folks. And I like Mike’s scenario A better.

    Also, as a public service, here’s that IttyBiz post I said I couldn’t find. I kind of think it should be the OBS sales letter, but who the fuck am I?

    http://ittybiz.com/fortune-favors-the-brave-and-the-honest/

  9. Katy on Sat, 16th May 2009 3:07 am

    10. Johnny, this is great. Thank you so much for being so honest with yourself and sharing it with us. I have to say, thanks to your ittybiz post the other day I finally got off my ass and printed out the OBS pdfs. Next up, the audios ;-)

    Thank you.

    @kat_taf

  10. Joel on Sat, 16th May 2009 8:07 am

    11. Matrix Reloaded? Really?

    Hell yes, I loved it when it came out. But its CGI just has not aged well at all. What used to look like a stunning, surreal army of Smith’s now looks like Saturday morning cartoons.

    Oh, and congrats. ;)

  11. Barb McMahon on Sat, 16th May 2009 8:20 am

    12. “when change happens, it happens in an instant…”

    It really, really does – not once, but over and over again.

    This is a great post. I can’t wait to hear what good stuff comes next!

  12. JJ Jalopy on Sat, 16th May 2009 9:45 am

    13. Johnny – you’re a totally awesome writer.

    So many people I like have been telling me I should read your stuff so I finally got off my lazy cyberbutt and made my way to your site.

    I’ve spent a long time reading your stuff today because it rocks.

    I think a lot of people can really relate to your experiences. You’re ruthlessly honest in a entertaining and badass way.

    And you’re funny as fuck. And you’re in my RSS feed.

    Keep on rocking the world!

  13. Julie Stuart on Sat, 16th May 2009 10:17 am

    14. Way to go Johnny, you’re an inspiration!! Can’t wait to see what happens next.

  14. Char Brooks on Sat, 16th May 2009 1:35 pm

    15. So happy for you Johnny. . . you’re an awesome writer and I’m glad things are working out for you. It’s exciting following your story – you’re changing how the world thinks.

    Congratulations!

  15. @TheGirlPie on Sat, 16th May 2009 5:06 pm

    16. No surprise to me, kiddo — but thanks for the swell update.
    And the hard-working action you’re modeling for the kids out there.
    All this, and more, from your passion to write…
    No surprise to me ~
    XO sauce,

    ~GP

  16. Jorge Blanco on Sun, 17th May 2009 9:31 pm

    17. That was inspiring. It is true that change can only come from within. I am glad that you have reaffirmed your true purpose. I believe true motivation can only come from that, knowing where you want to be and realizing you are not yet there but also that you CAN get there if you put your mind to it.

  17. Johnny B. Truant on Sun, 17th May 2009 9:35 pm

    18. Thanks to everyone, but I have to respond to Joel in particular. Man, Reloaded has everything! The Architect, the revelation about The One as part of the system, the badass freeway chase, the realization that Smith and Neo are the opposite sides of the unbalanced equation and that only their mutual cancellation will restore order… everything!

    Meh, everyone disagrees with me on that one. Same as how nobody but me thinks that Alien is a far, far better film than Aliens.

  18. @ncwinters on Mon, 18th May 2009 11:25 am

    19. OK, everything was going fine. Great post, inspirational, raw and emotional and this side on the positive side of things. Then you throw in your reckless thoughts about Matrix Reloaded. I have to go with Joel on this one, though your points are very valid about the content. Graphically was the biggest letdown. You had me back on board with your ACCURATE depiction of Alien as being better than Aliens.

    On the serious side of stuff, great post. I honestly didn’t think you’d do AS well as you did. Not that it’s any condemnation on you, just your success seemed to follow in the *results not typical* disclaimer for most weight loss commercials and erectile dysfunction ads. The trick is to see where it will go from here. Love your thoughts on believing in yourself though. We got some of that magnetic poetry that everyone has on their fridge forever ago and one phrase has never been changed, even though it was created by accident, and I hold it very true to this day:

    Anything can happen.

  19. Luci G on Mon, 18th May 2009 11:59 am

    20. Wow. That really spoke to me. Thanks so much for sharing. From someone that’s in the middle of revamping life and work… very much striving to have “faith” (that fleeting feeling of faith!) that it’s all going to work out.
    I watched you from Naomi’s site. I think you had real guts to ask her to do that work with you. The fact that she said yes, and that you propelled yourself so far forward with it so quickly, is another good example for everyone that creativity can pay off exponentially when served with a side of daring.

  20. Holly Hopper on Tue, 19th May 2009 12:21 am

    21. Thanks Johnny, exactly what I was looking for tonight. You said the point of this post was to inspire and, at least for me, you did just that. I’m sure you know, no matter how much drive and desire you have, there are certain nights that it’s just not “there”. Those are the nights we need to lean on each other for inspiration and motivation to keep going. Thanks again, I can now actually get something done tonight towards my own goal of dropping the cubicle lifestyle. Off to go release my next free website theme! Thanks and I can’t wait to see how you’re doing after month 2. Please keep us updated!!!!

  21. Sparky Firepants on Tue, 19th May 2009 3:25 am

    22. Most people don’t know this, but I can out-whine any 3-year old.

    Which is exactly what I did to Naomi after I read your success post on her blog. I e-mailed her a big ol’ “I SUCK” rant. Then I ran to the fridge, popped a cold one, and promptly cried into it.

    Actually, I think the salt balanced the yeast and improved the flavor.

    I couldn’t say what my whiny e-mail did to Naomi’s inbox, but she probably installed a “whine rule” and added my address.

    When you’re launching a new thingie it’s so easy to get stuck inside your head (well, it is for me, anyway) and start feeling like it’s all about you (er, me).

    Of course, later that day I shook off the tantrum and just went back to work. Apparently people are waiting for this launch now and I missed that fact because all I saw were your dollar signs. Poor Sparky.

    Now that I’m back to simply building the coolest thing ever for my people, I’m not really worried about it.

    And I’ll be reading your posts without my bottle opener handy. Nice work, Dude.

  22. Johnny B. Truant on Tue, 19th May 2009 12:03 pm

    23. Well, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that my stuff is “solved.” I think part of the secret is that you never really feel like things are handled from a rational perspective. You have to have faith.

    Me, I’m very aware that there are 12 days left in this month and that I have to make $X. What I’m learning to do is have faith. Everything always turns out awesome in the end.

    Right now, I’m just pretty hepped up about how Project Mojave ( http://is.gd/A6M8 ) is unfolding. I’m going to be pretty excited to learn everyone else’s stuff while I’m teaching other people my stuff.

  23. John on Thu, 21st May 2009 11:47 am

    24. Thanks for this great advice. I feel like I’m at the bottom of the barrel when I think of how new I am to blogging. I really want to have an empire as well by creating valuable content. That said, I know it’s not going to be easy. But I will keep improving, every minute of every day of every month. One day, I hope to see the transition into success.

  24. Johnny B. Truant on Fri, 22nd May 2009 11:16 am

    25. It’s all good. You know when this blog started? OCTOBER 2008. Time isn’t the factor; it’s guts and being real. And knowing the right folks. And marketing.

    By the way, speaking of being real and genuine, I think Naomi/Sonia’s “Marketing For Nice People” may be just about the greatest idea ever. EVER. Check it out. http://is.gd/CnEX

  25. Karilee on Mon, 25th May 2009 5:17 am

    26. “Finding your people is not luck. It is a natural outgrowth of being genuine to yourself and taking action like a motherfucker.”

    Love this. I found Naomi. Through her I found you. Due to both of you and a determination to see something positive rise from a friend’s untimely death, my blog got launched two days ago. It’s about time. Thanks.

    Authenticity’s been a big theme lately. I’m drawn to people who ooze it, like you, like Naomi. Life’s too damn short to spend a moment more than necessary with the rest.

  26. Johnny B. Truant on Tue, 26th May 2009 9:10 pm

    27. I’m really starting to solidify on the idea of “Just do what you’re going to do, and do it as best you can. People will either like it or not, but best to take your genuine shot.”

    Thanks for the props.

  27. I am JohnnyBTruant.com. Hear me roar! : Johnny B. Truant on Sat, 19th Sep 2009 8:50 am

    28. [...] and wear pants and hand out technology tips. And from time to time, I’d write these epic motivational posts or something and post them on the funny blog, but even though that was a fucked up thing to do, it [...]

  28. Normal is for suckers « Project Mojave Blog on Sat, 3rd Oct 2009 8:07 pm

    29. [...] a few of the recent posts I’ve written about the process of becoming free (exhibits A, B, and C) and I guess he felt that it qualified as what he’s coined to be good-stuff "freedom [...]

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