Hello! Long time follower from Mexico. :D

[August Boulder]

Hello everyone!

 

So glad I'm finally part of this community.

 

I've been listening to Stefan since about 2005, if I'm not mistaken. I must have been about 19 years old. This was back when he recorded his show during his drive to and from work.

 

Sadly, I stopped listening to his show from about 2007 up to just about a month ago, when I finally was able to purchase a PC. Plus, I suffered a sort of crisis after a visit from my mother which recently made me realize I was on the wrong path and this need to change for the better also urged me to begin listening anew.

 

Some background:

 

Born in Mexico. Moved to the US at the age of six with my mother, recently separated from my father, and sister, illegally. Attended public school, in which I was first considered a gifted and talented child and then gradually forgotten, from first grade to junior year – when I dropped out, realizing I had no real chance as an illegal and migrated back to Mexico in 2007.

 

Although I apparently showed signs of real potential as a child, no interest was taken either by my family or the schools to help me develop it – my mother basically worked all day to support my sister and I. Thankfully, I was never really beaten or abused in any physically violent way, and so I've managed to remain relatively whole to my twenty-ninth year.

 

I discovered Ayn Rand after reading the The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The Fountainhead changed my life, in both positive and negative ways, but the positive substantially outweigh the negative. The negative was a kind of repression of my emotions, and this idea that I could and should be like her heroes, which I very clearly see now was something completely out my reach (and that of most). Thankfully I read Les Miserables shortly after and saw a different side of humanity, namely the compassion missing from Rand's works, and this gave me a different perspective and leveled the balance a little. The positive should be obvious, since I am here.

 

I believe I suffered a very bad depression from about the age of 15 up to a very recent awakening I underwent as a result of me seeing my mother again after about 8 years. I can see now, that I had been rather desensitized and was becoming quite indifferent to my future. This recent crisis has been quite difficult, as I am now very much awake and aware of my feelings. This has been the hardest part of it – dealing with my feelings – as they are incredibly strong, and something I had been unaccustomed to. Empathy in particular, is a feeling I'm having a hard time with, as it can be overwhelming at times.

 

I'm not very educated yet in the subjects that Stefan explores, but I am ready to begin educating myself and living my life by proper principles. I have always believed I am capable of great things, and continue to believe it, and so I hope to soon become a very active member and to dedicate my time and efforts to the beautiful cause of liberty.

 

Thank you for reading! I hope to begin learning from you soon!

[Kurtis]

Welcome!

 

I almost wrote "welcome back" except I am newly arrived to the online community myself. It's that lately I've been listening to the older shows (starting from the first and generally working forward) and so I have this fondness for the feeling of intimacy in those early days of car casts

 

I am sorry to hear the suffering you have had in your life and am happy you have found your way back to believing in yourself. Much of my life before finding FDR was dominated by the feeling that I had so much potential to be great that I was not fulfilling. Through my self work I am now starting to actualize some of that potential and it is amazing!

 

I'm excited for you, and this community as a whole, as we all uplift ourselves and each other. Keep up the good work you are doing!

[AynRand]

Welcome to the community. If you ever need any clarity on Stefan's newer views I might be able to help although asking him I'm sure would give better results, however I think I'm pretty well caught up.

[August Boulder]

Thank you both for your kind response!

 

I've only been "awake" now for about two months, as a result of this recent crisis, and I feel a bit angry at myself sometimes for not moving faster toward my goals. I'm still quite confused, but I know that it's only a matter of time before things start becoming clearer and I really start to work. I know I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I'm looking into therapy, and will hopefully be earning enough soon to afford it! Again thank you, and I hope to interact with you some more as I continue to converse here.

[jvilla]

Hi, fellow Mexican here! Where in Mexico do you live?

[Toys4]

Hello everyone!

 

So glad I'm finally part of this community.

 

I've been listening to Stefan since about 2005, if I'm not mistaken. I must have been about 19 years old. This was back when he recorded his show during his drive to and from work.

 

Sadly, I stopped listening to his show from about 2007 up to just about a month ago, when I finally was able to purchase a PC. Plus, I suffered a sort of crisis after a visit from my mother which recently made me realize I was on the wrong path and this need to change for the better also urged me to begin listening anew.

 

Some background:

 

Born in Mexico. Moved to the US at the age of six with my mother, recently separated from my father, and sister, illegally. Attended public school, in which I was first considered a gifted and talented child and then gradually forgotten, from first grade to junior year – when I dropped out, realizing I had no real chance as an illegal and migrated back to Mexico in 2007.

 

Although I apparently showed signs of real potential as a child, no interest was taken either by my family or the schools to help me develop it – my mother basically worked all day to support my sister and I. Thankfully, I was never really beaten or abused in any physically violent way, and so I've managed to remain relatively whole to my twenty-ninth year.

 

I discovered Ayn Rand after reading the The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The Fountainhead changed my life, in both positive and negative ways, but the positive substantially outweigh the negative. The negative was a kind of repression of my emotions, and this idea that I could and should be like her heroes, which I very clearly see now was something completely out my reach (and that of most). Thankfully I read Les Miserables shortly after and saw a different side of humanity, namely the compassion missing from Rand's works, and this gave me a different perspective and leveled the balance a little. The positive should be obvious, since I am here.

 

I believe I suffered a very bad depression from about the age of 15 up to a very recent awakening I underwent as a result of me seeing my mother again after about 8 years. I can see now, that I had been rather desensitized and was becoming quite indifferent to my future. This recent crisis has been quite difficult, as I am now very much awake and aware of my feelings. This has been the hardest part of it – dealing with my feelings – as they are incredibly strong, and something I had been unaccustomed to. Empathy in particular, is a feeling I'm having a hard time with, as it can be overwhelming at times.

 

I'm not very educated yet in the subjects that Stefan explores, but I am ready to begin educating myself and living my life by proper principles. I have always believed I am capable of great things, and continue to believe it, and so I hope to soon become a very active member and to dedicate my time and efforts to the beautiful cause of liberty.

 

Thank you for reading! I hope to begin learning from you soon!

 

Thank you for sharing your journey with us and welcome. I will be reading my first Ayn Rand book Atlas shrugged. I'm just waiting for it to arrive to me.