Two days ago, I registered Steemit and was so excited that I quickly published my first #introduceyourself post. But after spending a day studying Steemit, I found my first post too brief and decide to #introduceyourself again!
I found my first #introduceyourself post to brief to let you know me. I want to share more about my life, and what we think about steemit, and what I want to contribute to steemit.
My name is Aaron Li from Hong Kong. English is not my first language so please forgive me for any mistakes.
I have talked something about my job and my hobbies in my previous introduceyouself post. So I do not mention here again. You may check my previous post with my verification:
@aaronli/my-first-post-in-steemit-hello-all
And today, I want to share my story going into a trough and coming back.
I was cheated and got a debt of US $60K
I was a normal boy being born in a normal family. My family is not rich but my parents love me. So I didn’t have anything to strive for in my childhood. I just did the same thing as others, studying and graduated from University and started a normal job.
I like making friends, I like wine with friends, I like helping my friends. In the year of 2013, one of my friends, said that he needed some money to as some goods of his company got some trouble during the logistics. And he can earn it back after the goods arrive.
My friend was member of a gang and so his record made him can’t get loan from the bank. As I said I am eager to help and I loaned for him. And the result, I believe everyone knows, he disappeared. And I got a debt of $60,000.
I need to settle my debt
This is a turning point of my life. Before the debt, I lived from paycheck to paycheck. And after setting up the schedule of settling the debt with the bank, I started to face the truth of my financial status.
To some people it may only be a small amount of money. But the truth is I wasn’t high paid (around US $1700 only) and HK is a really expensive city and I really found helpless at this moment. Luckily, I asked for help from my boss. My boss didn’t pay the debt for me but he promoted me to the manager as well as a small amount of salary raising. Although it didn’t help a lot but still made my life not so hard. At that moment, I needed to spare a large amount of my salary for the debt in the coming 6 years.
I started to hide myself from the society
My life started to changed. I got no money for social life. I had to think about how to spend, what to eat, and reduce as much entertainment as I can. I didn’t have money hanging out with my friends again. I was shamed to let my friends know I was such an idiot to get a debt. My friends and I eventually drift apart. I had no saving. I had no money. I seemed to have no future. I lost my confidence.
It made me a hard time working as a manager. I was a simple person, too simple to get involved in the office politics. I couldn’t coordinate with my upper well to get advantage in the office politics. My upper always said, “You do all the work letting your colleague nothing to do. You act like a working machine instead of a manager.” My junior changed and changed and changed as they always resigned in a short time.
I felt I was alone. Even in my day off, I just stayed at home, or went out myself only. I began to ignore my financial status and spent a lot.
One day, I found I got no money to pay for my credit card
Again, I asked for help from my boss. He talked to me for so long time and finally he led me money to pay for my credit card. I increased my debt.
That night, I stayed at the office until midnight. All colleagues left. With a dozen of beer, I started to think of my life. And suddenly, I felt I was wide awake, something like epiphany, and...
I NEED TO CHANGE
YES, I NEED TO CHANGE
I started reading a lot of books. I planned my life.
I started recording my expense. I set up my expense plan. I started saving.
I started to exercise and lose weight (Yeah I gained a lot of fat during the past years).
I started to prepare a meal at home (to save money and be healthy)
I started to reduce my expensive entertainment and hobbies again
I started to date my friends again
I started to gain a lot of hobbies that doesn’t cost, including hiking, reading, piano, guitar, drawing.
I started to learn a lot of new things: photography, Photoshop, video editing, video shooting etc
I started to know the term PASSIVE INCOME
It all happened about one and a half year ago
I started to live my new life
Today, actually my life don’t change a lot. I am still poor haha. But I start to have some saving. I learn a lot of thing which may be even more than what I learnt in the past ten years.
I learn to be a good manager. I manage my time well and spare work to my colleague. Now my three juniors had worked for over 2 years and are still here.
I had three bosses. 1 boss trusts me. 1 boss support me. And 1 boss wants to fire me. It makes my working life very interesting.
If you ask me if I hate the guy who cheated me
I may say, I didn’t, although I won’t say thank you to him. He changed my life. I can say he let me spend $60,000 to learn a life lesson. But it worth. I am now 30. I am money poor but I am mental wealthy. If I didn’t meet the guy 4 years ago. I may still have a chance to meet a guy cheating me again in the future, maybe 35, maybe 40. But now, I am confident not to be cheated again.
What I want to share
I believe my experience is good for many young people. I want to share with them and let them do not go a similar road as me. I would like to share what I learnt: money management, building up habit, losing weight, healthy life, photoshop, photography, way to success and a lot more.
Also, from what I said in my first #introduceyourself post, I like my home town, Hong Kong. I will also share something interest about HK. I wish you all like HK.
Finally
Sorry that if my English is not good enough. And sorry that my story may be too long. I wish I may integrate into the Steemit society.
Lastly, I will finish my debt in August next year. Still 14 months to go. Wish you may support me!
Aaron Li
follow me @aaronli