Mike's Story, An Inspiration for any Grindsetter

I wanna thank one of my most successful client's story of overcoming the odds and working the grind until he reached his goals. His name is Mike and we should all let his totally true story be an inspiration to us all. This is perhaps the most eloquently written testimony I have ever read. These are his words...

Strap in, guys. This is about to get real. I wanna share with you one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever had to overcome. This is my own personal testimony, one of many actually, and how I learned that chasing your dreams the correct way will always get you there, no matter how difficult and improbable it seems. This is raw and may be at times hard to read, but I know you have the mental toughness to get through it.

In 2008, I was a married young father and not dating a beautiful young woman named Chloe. It was purely friendship, despite what my first wife says. We met at a bar (I, of course, was there to spread the Good Word of the Lord) and she told me she was a nurse, a good woman’s job, and that she was a contemporary dancer in her spare time. Intrigued, I invited myself along to her classes, just to make sure it wasn’t the sinful provocative kind of dancing I vividly imagined in my head. At first it was once in a while, but soon I attended every class, sitting on the side bench. I was hypnotized by her skills. I sat in awe of her athleticism. Turns out contemporary dance is no joke. Her body twisted, spun and thrusted into the most mesmerizing displays. I wish my wife was as svelte and supple as her. I would sit in every lesson, eyes wide open, mouth agape and slightly drooling. The teacher had given up asking me to leave. I felt a passion burn inside of me. It raged like an inferno the more I watched- it was God telling me something. 

Then one day, I couldn’t contain the fire. I had to announce to the class what the Lord was burning me to say.

“I…,” I almost choked, realising this was the first sound out of my mouth the whole time. Never had I uttered a word in any lesson. I stood up. I tried again and this time the Lord had my back, “I… can do better than that!”

Everyone definitely stopped in their tracts to look at me. There was a stunned silence in the air that totally happened.

I knew then I was an exceptional writer and entrepreneur, but only in that moment did I realise God also made me to be a contemporary dancer!

I confidently strode across the room to the middle of the dance floor with confidence. Most of the dancers immediately sat down, obviously to witness something very special. Only me and Chloe remained on the dance floor, the teacher stood looking confused. Chloe looked at me confusingly in a confused way, “You sure you can do this?”

“Of course! I’ve been watching you for two years now. It looks pretty simple.”

Chloe shimmied over to the ipod speaker. We were about to do the routine she performs for local competitions. She came in first once- a gold medal! This was award winning choreography. I was about to perform with the best this small town had to offer. I felt chosen. This was my moment to show the world that I, Michael Schmerz, was destined to be a dancer! Chloe stood by my side and gave me the nod. Hit it!

This is it.

The Holy Spirit took over.

I felt my body glide effortlessly with motions I never thought were possible. The music was in my soul, completely possessed by the sound. I spun, twirled, my limbs flailing in any direction they could. My body knew no boundaries nor space. My surroundings became a blur. I could no longer see, just move. My feet thumped with the rhythm. Chloe stood aside as her face collided with my energetic limbs, leaving me solo on the dancefloor, gyrating to the song Toxic by Britney Spears. Soon I couldn’t even hear the music. I think someone turned it off. Nevertheless, my body continued to spin, swing, thrash around. There’s no skill to this, just pure attitude and soul and I had plenty of both. Spirit, you got this! I was truly giving it my all, meaning this was the single best performance anyone in that room had ever seen!

Then it happened.

Somehow, the Enemy had sneaked his evil way into the room. I didn’t notice his presence until he interrupted my blessed performance. My feet, just seconds ago were in perfect slightly-off rhythm, tripped over themselves. I was on the floor. This was Satan’s fault. The room was silent. The light of God left the room in embarrassment.

I stood up, ego bruised. I masculinly walked over in a masculine way like a man to the teacher and looked him right in the eye, locking a masculine stare down. 

Seconds went by. I could tell he was uncomfortable. My ego liked that.

“Just give me six months,” I puffed, still catching my breath from the shock of Satan’s evil intervention. “Six months of hard training and I’ll be ready for Broadway!”

“Listen buddy, I don’t want to shatter your dreams, but-”

"You can't!" I interjected.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “Well, you can certainly improve in six months, but let’s see how much you improve before-”

“Oh you will! You will.”

“If you’re going to participate, you need to start paying!” he yelled as I smugly walked out, pride and masculinity intact. The Light was outside waiting for me to guide me forward. There was no applause.

So that day I began an intensive training routine of one hour a day. After the second day, I already felt in peak-shape. By the third I started stretching before and after my training, adding an additional fifteen minutes. I’m a natural at this. All it takes is some dedication and a little time and I can achieve anything. The journey to Broadway was truly underway.

So I trained. I trained every single day. I made a lot of sacrifices, much to my wife’s dismay. I spent money on lessons, gym membership and the most expensive dance shoes on the market. Can’t be the best if you don’t wear the best. I trained until I was beyond exhausted and bored, but I always remembered my why- why I was ultimately on this journey: Broadway fame! I had always dreamed about it since I was 28 years old! I will make it! I have to make it! 

After six months of the gruelling training routine I was finally ready to reassess my ambitions. I showed up to my lesson. Chloe had stopped attending months ago. We never spoke again. She probably moved onto more slutty dancing like jazz. But I was there and I was ready to perform her famous choreography. This has to be Broadway audition worthy.

The screeching violins of Toxic began. I stared at the teacher with determined intensity. He rolled his eyes and sighed. I twisted. I twirled. I twerked. I gave everything with high energy and enthusiasm. This was the performance of a lifetime.

There was no applause.

"Well your coordination is improving..."

“Of course I’ve improved! I am trained!”

“But your form is still way off. Have you learned any of the techniques from my lessons?”

“Of course not! I don’t need them for this dance!”

“You mean to tell me you have only learned this one dance?”

“I don’t need to learn anything else. This dance is award winning! I only need to learn the best of the best choreography!”

He stood there, most likely stunned by my greatness.

“Listen, I’m gonna be frank with you. There is no way you have what it takes to-”

I walked out. The Holy Spirit was on my side anyway. I knew in that moment that I needed to rise above the negativity. I will show him I have what it takes! He hasn’t spent the last six months training like I have! He doesn’t understand the grind! 

I am not proud to admit it, perhaps a little ashamed, but his refusal to recognise my real potential hurt a little. I took to the internet to share some hard truths that the teacher wasn’t ready to hear. This is why he’ll never reach the stardom that I will. I shared selected Bible verses to prove that he was miserable, but not directly. Many people have said that I am a “coward” for being “passive aggressive” all the time, but if I had the chance, I would tell these people that I am above directly confronting people. If you outwardly express your jealousy, the cringe speaks for itself. I am smart enough to see it. So anyway, I was asked directly to never return to his class.

So a few weeks later, with a little manifesting on my resume, I got my first Broadway audition! I, Michael Schmerz, had the very real potential to actually be a Broadway star! I had climbed the ranks from nobody to potentially famous within just a few months! It really was possible!

I walked into that audition with my head held high. Six months of hard work had come down to this moment. This was my true shot at real stardom. This was where the Lord had led me. It all added up to this sacred moment. I made it. I really made it! I, Michael Schmerz, was a career contemporary dancer!

I was laughed out of my audition. I was asked directly to never return.