THE LESSONS ONLY ROCK BOTTOM CAN TEACH

from someone who has frequented

"Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." — [J.K. Rowling]

If you have ever experienced rock bottom or are a resident there currently then this is definitely for you.

Everybody loves to talk about rock bottom but you truly only figure out who you are and what you are made of when you hit it. One thing i learnt a long time ago is that rock bottom has a basement. That is where i have found myself twice in my life. The two most difficult seasons i have been through in my life taught me more than any of the other seasons did combined. It’s shit when you are going through it don’t get me wrong. The other side of rock bottom is beautiful. The perspective and experience gained is invaluable. Now i can safely say that i am super grateful for both of my rock bottoms, because i wouldn’t be where i am today without them.

People love to say the only way is up from rock bottom but that is bullsh*t. It can go way lower than even you know. In the basement of rock bottom is where men are made. You can often tell who has gone through some things in their lives versus people who haven’t. There is a maturity and level of understanding that is only found in the depths of ones life.

I learned things about myself and what i am capable of that i would never have known without hitting rock bottom.

Rock bottom is where i found myself and then rediscovered myself again.

Rock bottom 1 (2016 - 2020):

• Crippling drug addict at age 20

• No money, no ambition, no friends

• Lost everything i had

• Couldn’t hold down a job

• My friends cut me off

• My family was ready to disown me

• A constant downward spiral

Rock bottom 2 (December 2024)

• Gambled away over $2m in a single day

• Got socially engineered for my last $100k

• Zerod out in arguably the most prosperous time in crypto

“Rock bottom has built more heroes than any privilege ever could.” — Unknown

Ultimately, rock bottom teaches that you can rebuild, that survival is possible, and that your capacity for growth is limitless. (Read that again)

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THE INDOMITABLE HUMAN SPIRIT

While you are going through whatever rock bottom is for you, it is almost impossible to see the lessons. I definitely couldn’t when i was in the thick of things. One thing rings true:

A primal and almost feral instinct to survive.
To make it through by any means necessary.
The indomitable human spirit is found in the worst of situations.

You are capable of extraordinary things, all you really needed was an excuse to do them. What better excuse than do or die. Desperation is one of the most powerful motivators that exist. Use it. Do not let it go to waste.

Some key takeaways from my rock bottoms:

• It’s never too late to start again
  - You have the capability to come back from anything.

• Things can definitely get worse but they can also get better
  - Which way life goes depends on the work you put in.

• i am a resilient mf
  - I chose not to give up and made it through both seasons.

• Losing is only true if you give up
  - I wanted to give up many times but didn’t.

• Clarity and accountability with regards to my life
  - I landed up where i was because of my decisions. My life is 100% my responsibility and there was nobody else to blame but me.

• Realising what my priorities were versus what they should’ve been
  - Chasing money, chasing highs, chasing things that didn’t really matter is why i found myself at rock bottom.

• Humble pie and eating the whole thing.
  - Rock bottom is a humbling experience. It kills all ego. I was reset to factory settings - i aint shit but i have the opportunity to be something if i put the work in.

• Life is what you put into it.
  - i quickly realised that i was inputting the wrong data and as a result getting a shitty output.

• Effort doesnt’ matter, results do.
  - I was always putting effort into things, my addiction, my gambling etc etc but i was putting effort into the wrong things and getting results i didn’t like.

• Show don’t tell.
  - “im sorry” loses its novelty after the 10th muttering, i had to do the hard and uncomfortable shit and show that i meant business.

• Forgiveness is not guaranteed
  - If you royally f*cked it like i did and were able to turn it around, you start expecting forgiveness but it doesn’t always come and thats ok.

• Life is malleable
  - your situation does not define you. You have the ability to rise above any situation.

• The opinion of others is fickle
  - I worried so much what others thought of me that i allowed them to dictate my life. How i moved, how i spoke and how i interacted with people. I gave people who didn’t care about me the power to control me.

• Time is on your side
  - Leaving rock bottom may take time but the effort you put in leads to the fruits you will pull out. ITS NEVER TOO LATE.

• Becoming teachable
  - I was a hard ass. Didn’t want to intake opinions or perspectives of others and fell on my ass because of it. There is always someone better off, smarter and more experienced.

• You don’t need to reinvent the wheel
  - Situations may differ but suffering follows patterns. Let other people speak into your life and offer solutions. They may not be exactly where you are but there’s a good chance they have been in a similar room.

• Human capability is limitless.
  - We are built for survival. There are very few things that YOU cannot endure, there only needs to be a reason for enduring it.

• Life is beautiful
  - A motivating factor for me through everything was the sure possibility of life, who knows what good things could happen? Why not try and find out?

• Your suffering can aid others
  - Once you have made it through the unimaginable, you are very well equipped to assist others who are going through it. You have metaphorically sailed the perilous seas and have found a route through.

• The obligation to pass on knowledge and experience
  - There is a reason you went through the suffering you did and i believe that is to help others facing similar afflictions. You made it through and have an obligation to help others navigate the perils of life.

• You have nothing to lose and everything to gain
  - unlimited upside with the downside basically being death. Why wouldn’t you just go for it with everything you can muster.

No matter how bad things may seem, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Things can and will get better if you allow them to + put in the work required. Once you have conquered your rock bottom, every other small setback becomes that much more insignificant. The highs feel that much better because you know what the lows actually are. You know that you are able to endure hardships and make it out the other side. You have learnt the hard lessons and paid your dues. You are capable.

If you are going through it, i promise that you will come out the other side a better person, a more capable person, a more well rounded person.

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.

so get through it.