A Square Peg in a Round Hole

square-peg-round-hole

For seventeen years of my working career I felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.  It just didn’t fit.  I often times remembered that sense of dread when Sunday evening came around because I knew that it was almost time to start my work week.  Can you relate to that?  Dread is a horrible feeling.  One that will suck our soul dry. 

BURNT OUT

The reason I got into the pharmaceutical industry was that I wanted to spend more time with my kids.  Before getting into the pharma industry I was in health and fitness full time.   I managed a personal training program for a large health club.  To say the least, it wasn’t a very family friendly job.  I left work before my kids got up and when I got home, usually around 7pm, I was exhausted from putting in a fourteen hour day.  It wasn’t sustainable, even though my passion was health and fitness, I quickly got burnt out from the daily grind. 

Therefore, I left my passion of health and fitness to become a pharmaceutical sales rep.  My first year in the industry I was very depressed.  I could hardly get out of bed in the morning to go to work.  I couldn’t stand my job.  I didn’t feel like I was making a difference.  I felt like I was just driving around all day without any teaching or selling opportunities. 

But I hung in there and eventually broke down barriers and became quite good at it.  With one of the companies I worked for I finished first in the country in sales and usually finished in the top ten percent.

OUT OF INTEGRITY

The problem was that I always felt out of integrity.  A square peg in a round hole.   I wasn’t living my passion.  I never thought of myself as a sales person.  A lot of the times I found myself talking to my customers about health and nutrition.    

I remember when I knew I couldn’t last in the industry much longer.   I was at a national sales meeting and they were giving out awards for the top sales performers.  I was just thinking to myself, this isn’t my gift.  This isn’t why God put me on this earth.  I recall getting in my car and just crying knowing that I couldn’t do this any longer. 

My why of getting into the pharmaceutical industry was no longer relevant as both of my kids had graduated high school and were off doing their own thing.  I knew I had to get out to save my soul.  I was easily making six figures at that time, but I didn’t care.  What good is it if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul?  That is how I felt. 

PURSUING OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

What I have come to learn is that if we don’t know our purpose in life and are actively pursuing it we will feel empty inside.  We may become bored, restless and turn to other things in our life that usually isn’t healthy such as hours watching TV, alcohol, drugs, porn, power, money or materialism. 

My dream since I was twenty three years old was to be an entrepreneur.  I always wanted to have my own fitness business.  I just never had the guts or quite honestly a faith in God or myself to take that leap of faith. 

That is until about a little over a year ago.  I knew I had to get back into integrity with myself and with God.  I had to go back to what I know I was created for.  I have always been passionate about fitness, but now my faith has become the central focus in my life. 

My calling, passion and purpose is to help men reclaim their inner warrior and lead more valiant lives through physical, mental and spiritual fitness.  My vision is to be revolutionary in impacting men’s lives with fitness as the platform for growing spiritually. 

MY WORK IS MY MINISTRY

My core values are completely lined up with what I am doing now.   My work is my ministry.  Most of the time I don’t know what day it is because I love every aspect of my job.  I know longer dread Mondays.  What an incredible feeling that is. 

Are you currently in a job that you aren’t passionate about?  Do you go through the motions day in and day out and are bored out of your mind?  Are you not giving your gift fully to the world? 

I would like to invite you to start to dream and imagine the possibilities when you are fully lined with up your purpose and living that out in your life.  Your whole world will change.  I know mine did.

Becoming an entrepreneur has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding.  My faith has grown tremendously over the last year.  I am completely dependent on God’s goodness for him to help me grow my ministry.  He is guiding and directing my path on this great Kingdom adventure. 

Think about what it would feel like in the morning to jump out of bed feeling fully alive because you are making a difference in this world. 

Our calling in this lifetime isn’t to mold ourselves into some façade we think we ought to be, but discover who we already are and become it. 

My challenge to you is to start to work towards becoming the person you were created to be.  Follow your dreams and passions.  You will never feel more alive giving your gifts back to the world.

Troy Ismir, MS

Spiritual Warrior

Divine Wellness Ministries

 

4 comments

Milan Larson
 

You have a great story Troy...one that is truly going to touch so many lives. Thanks for taking a leap and for impacting people around you!!!!!

Read more
Read less
Troy Ismir
 

Thanks for the encouragement Milan. It is an exciting faith adventure for sure!

Read more
Read less
lisa elibe
 

thats very touching. thanks

Read more
Read less
Troy Ismir
Staff
 

Thank you Lisa.  I am glad it touched your heart.

Troy

Read more
Read less