

I turned 22 on July 26th, two weeks after I graduated with an MIS degree from KFUPM. The above picture was me receiving an honor plaque on graduation day!

When I was a kid, my father used to tell me that success in life is all about studying hard, graduating from a recognized university, and then joining a large company to earn excellent salary and good job benefits. And that's exactly what I did…

I was always in the top five students throughout my studies, then I joined the world's largest oil company, I was well compensated and I had all kinds of benefits that someone would expect from a corporate job.

At school we were encouraged to believe that success in life depends entirely on how smart you are and how hard you work. But as we get older, we begin to notice that the kids who were the smartest and studied the most don't necessarily end up the wealthiest, and certainly may not end up the happiest!

You can think of examples such Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who were both university dropouts, and they have chosen to follow their dreams instead of falling under someone else’s dream.

So I decided to resign from the high-paying job with the oil company, as I felt that I was simply buried under someone else’s dream and that was something that I didn't want to do. Beside that I had no control over my life working with the company and no guarantee that I will have a fulfilling future.

When I resigned, I was called all kinds of silly names (crazy, irresponsible, dreamer, etc.) by my closest friends and family members! Simply, my entire support system collapsed as I was going against the normal system that they believed in.

That's when I began the search to discover the opportunity that would enable me to regain my freedom, have control over my future, and yet live happily. Finally, I discovered that the best way to fulfill my dream is by starting my own practice that I would love doing for the rest of my life.

There is an X factor that separates those who bring their dreams into the real world and those who reach the end of their days wondering what might have been if only they took a chance.

Now the challenge I faced was that 95% of all entrepreneurs fail within the first 5 years. That was a huge risk that I didn't want to take. So I started brainstorming for demandable and sustainable ideas that I would enjoy, and that's when I decide to venture into the Digital world.

I discovered the golden opportunity to help businesses grow through online channels, digital marketing, and social media. I finally decided to go fully into it and set up my practice, which grew to become an international concept for professionals from all over the world.

This was more than 10 years ago and over that time period, I built up a highly successful business that enabled me to travel anywhere in the world and enjoy the lifestyle that I desire.

Above all else, what you should keep in mind is the importance of action and taking that first step when it comes to pursuing your own dream of success. There are times in any successful person's life where they have to go against conventional wisdom, make an unpopular decision, and take a big risk. It's a bridge that always needs to be crossed – real success, and the real happiness and freedom it can offer, never come easy.

If I were 22, I would have told myself to cross that bridge earlier!

Please share your comments below, or just thumbs up if you like my #IfIWere22

