Mr. Jagger

                   There's this someone I know who could probably win the title of most number of bad deeds done in the past award. He's someone I recently established connections with and no, it's not to do "bad" things. In fact, it's the total opposite. For the past few days that I have come to know him, the thoughts of him being someone living a bad life in the past never came into my mind. So to know that he was in fact, a really bad boy in the past came as a total shocker for me. Who is this person you may ask? Well let's just hide him by the name of Mr. Jagger. (for privacy's sake.)

                    Mr. Jagger is currently 23 years old. At the outside, he looks just like one of those typical every day happy go lucky guy who doesn't have a single problem in life  but on the inside, it's a totally different side of the story. Who would ever thought that this guy, who uses laughter every chance he gets, was a former bad-ass in his past? Yep, I love to use the word past because I truly believe that it will be considered as such since Mr. Jagger is now a totally renewed person and is still currently in the process of undergoing transformation for the next 86 days and counting. Mr. Jagger and I are colleagues in our mentor's 90 days to a million challenge. At first, I only saw him as nothing more than a competition. A competition in business, a competition in other aspects of life. But recently, I have changed my perspective about him because now, I am seeing him as a friend. A true friend.  

                      It all started when I was nearly hitting my depression state. I was so down at that time since I was confused. Everywhere I looked, people I knew were already working, posting Facebook statuses about work, work and nothing else but work! The mere fact that my relatives gave me the "do you even have plans in life" questions every chance they got only made my situation worse. I kept asking myself back then if I was abnormal because really, honestly, the thought of working to earn money didn't fascinate me. Instead, my mind was harboring these thoughts of I know money will come to me in other ways than working my ass off for a company. But how?! Those were my questions back then and I didn't have the much needed support thus I felt down. It was then that Mr. Jagger came along. That fateful act of hitting him a message through facebook one day was no accident. It had a purpose. And I soon came to understand why. 

                       Hey, Mr. Jag. How are you? I'm so down right now I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. I have recently become stagnant! Then Mr. Jagger replied, Hey, Ash! How are you? As for me, I'm doing fine. May I ask what's wrong with you? What IS going on with you? Then I started to share to him about my recent happenings in life. I felt comfortable talking to Mr. Jagger probably because he didn't know me too well back then. It didn't dawn on me that all I ever talk about to him were my problems, my complaints. I only realized that when he finally mustered the courage to tell it to me straight in my face these words. Words that greatly affected me back then and up to now. You know what, Ash. I'm so disappointed in you. You used to be my idol. I idolized you because you were so good at what you were doing and here you are telling me things, telling me about your problems. I know you're better than that. I officially challenge you. You know I had to build my business back from scratch. I'd do anything just to be in your shoes seeing as to how you have already established your business whereas I had to get back to zero. This is my challenge to you then, I shall race you to the top. If I win, I shall put your name to embarrassment in whatever ways possible. But if you win, I disappear. How's that? I was like 0________________0 was this guy really serious? I mean who was he to suddenly tell me those stuffs? Nevertheless, the words he spat at me became my motivation. I was back on track!

                          Now you would probably think that after hearing those words, I would develop a world war four against Mr. Jagger. But nah, it turned out to be the exact opposite. Mr. Jagger and I have become closer  friends especially when our mentor's 90 days to a million challenge began. I got to know him more as a person and when the news of his past came, my mind boggled to say the least. You see, Mr. Jagger doesn't have exactly a past that was to be wanted by anyone. Surely, not all of us have tried doing things that were considered a crime, right? I, for one, have never tried shooting someone with a gun or whatever. But Mr. Jagger? He's super jagger. 

                             Smoking? Check. 

                             Drinking non stop? Check

                             Drugs? Check.

                             Stealing? Check.

                             Shooting someone? Double check.

These are just some of the many things Mr. Jagger has done in his past. Scary, ain't it? I know it is. But if you were to look at Mr. Jagger now you would never ever think that he even did those aforementioned stuffs in the past. 

                     Mr. Jagger had it rough. His parents never had time for him. He sought the love and attention of his family but he never seemed to get it no matter how hard he tried. I did all sorts of crazy things just to catch their attention, but I keep on failing were the words of Mr. J. He dropped out from school, re-enrolled himself to another course and recently, dropped out again. On his 1st day of our 90 days to a million challenge, I saw the human part of Mr. J. Right after visiting the girl with the lupus, Mr. Jagger told me about how angry he was at himself. He just couldn't understand why it wasn't him on that bed who was suffering. After all, he should deserve it considering all the bad things he has done with his life before (smoking, drinking, drugs and all that jazz). Just recently, Mr. Jagger shared to me about how he vomited this morning coupled with an aching stomach. Perhaps I'm now getting what I should have gotten right from the very start, he said. Ashley, you have no idea how bad of a person I was. I do beer for breakfast, I smoke at lunch time and do shabu/cocaine (drugs) at night. Despite all the information he told me, I never judged him. Why? Because I believe that every person has the right to change and not be judged by the reasons behind it. 

                      Currently, Mr. Jagger and I are at our 4th day of our 90 days to a million challenge. We're getting there, J! I keep on telling him with much excitement. Now I understand why I suddenly had that unnerving feeling to hit Mr. Jagger a message from before. It really was no accident. It was God's purpose that two confused individuals like us would become acquainted. Why? Because we had the same mindset. No, I'm not talking about his past deeds. I'm talking about our present and future deeds! Mr. Jagger and I are slowly but surely transforming into our own respective individuals. Better individuals who would soon touch the lives of others with our own set of stories.I truly believe that Mr. Jagger is becoming a better person in life. Some people may tell me to stay away from him saying he may probably go back to his old ways  but I firmly believe in Bro. Bo's saying, your past does not define your future. Mr. Jagger is changing and he's slowly getting there. Now I know that I may really be abnormal! Because I am a person who thinks waaaayyyyyyyy above what is normal. :)