Justin Thyme

December 31

My eyes were glued to the six computer monitors on my desk, all displaying different stock symbols, charts, and market scanners. This was my life. 5 days a week. From 9:00AM to 4PM.

I had started two months ago. Trading equity options with the father of my friend. The pay, a modest $1200 a month. But after today, I was going to make 50% of whatever I brought in. The upside was huge.

“So, Justin, you think you’re ready to start your split?” Alex said.

“I can’t wait.” I replied back. “It’s all I think about.”

“Good. Good. You are doing great. I think everything is going to work out just fine.”

I was so lucky to get this job. Before this I was working in a cubicle making $13.00 an hour. I was slowly rotting away, my bones decaying from the sounds of staplers punching packets of paper, xerox machines, and water cooler banter.

When I received the call to start trading, I got chills done my back. I knew this was it. This was my breakthrough. I quit that day. And it really did seem like I was made for this. I learned quickly. Alex said I was a natural. Thats right baby. I was.

Growing up everyone said I thought too much. They saw it as a detriment. But now, I was using it to my advantage. My thoughts swirling as I monitored over twenty trade windows. Always being sure my bids and offers were protected. We called it lean size. Which was nothing more than the total number of contracts that were bid and offered at any one time. Never mind that though. Never mind. It's information you don’t need to know.

February 28

It took me two months from the day I started my 50% split, but I brought in $12,000. And got cut a check for $6,000. I didn't even know what to do with the money. I put it all in my bank. I just like how it looked. Six grand in the bank. I never had that much in my bank account in my life.

It was awesome but I had my sights set on big money. I wanted to bring in $30,000 - $40,000. I was only 23 years old but I realized I had the ability to change the trajectory of my life, forever. Every day before work I meditated, envisioning what it would feel like to bring in $5,000.00. I literally felt exactly how it would feel if the five thousand were mine. Then I drove in to work, visualizing the start of my trading day.

Every day after work I would go home and write in my little black book, all the trades that I made that day. I would go over every decision I made, and decide whether or not I made the right action in the heat of the moment.

I also outlined how I would scale my pay to $20,000. I took my little black book everywhere with me. When I had ideas come to me in the middle of the day, I jotted them down.

One day, on a Saturday, I found myself in Philadelphia walking around Old City with my girlfriend Melody. There was a used bookstore on the corner of 2nd and Market street that Melody wanted to check out, and we went in to have a look at the piles of used books they had. They always had good stuff.

I said hey to the girl working the desk and moved over to the section called “Spiritual”. There was a black book, not unlike mine, that caught my eye.

I opened it up and read it quietly to myself.

“If you have found this book, it is not by coincidence. It is of a cosmic fate that you were drawn to it. In reality, this book was written by you, for you. And you are reading it now.”

Whoa, that’s trippy, I thought.

"Melody. Come look at this."

Melody read the words on the page out loud.

"Whoa." was all she said.

“How much is this book?” I asked the girl at the desk.

“Open it up and I’ll show you.” The girl said.

“There.” She said. “$2.00 dollars”

“O.K., sure.” I said, pulling out two one dollar bills.

“Do you know anything about this book?” I asked.

“Nope! Enjoy.”

March 13

We crossed the street and took a seat on a bench and opened the book up to a random spot.

“You are a potent creator, in a world of creation. What you choose in this life, will resound for generations.”

I closed the book and took a deep breath.

"Do you believe this?" I asked Melody.

When I was ready I opened the book again.

“Do not merely settle for what you have right now. Think of the highest good, for yourself and others. How can you be of service? What can you give your life to?”

I felt a gnawing in my chest. I had never asked myself such deep questions.

What did I want to give my life towards?

I didn’t know.

I closed the book, and closed my eyes for a brief moment. Well, there was something I always wanted to do.

I wanted to open a coffee shop that was also a yoga studio and a music shop and an art studio, with books for free to read, and books to purchase.

"Do you remember when I said I wanted to open a coffee shop?" I asked Melody.

"Yeah, but I didnt know you were serious."

Could it be? Was this my purpose?

I raced all the way home in my car and when I got home I started underlining everything in this black book I had picked up. Everything rang true. I would trade for one more month. Then I would open my coffee shop on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

I couldn’t tell my boss this. He wouldn’t understand how I could leave such a good thing. I could barely understand. But I knew the power of acting in the now.

As the book said, “Now is the time of action. Now is the time to prove yourself.”

The book was said to be written by Arthur Anon. I looked it up, nothing.

Wait a second. Was it Author Anonymous? Arthur Anon?

Who wrote this book?

“What you do with this information is up to you. I am merely here to wake you up to the possibilities of the present moment. Always now.”

I worked as hard as I could in the month of March. Mid way through the month and I was on track to bring in 50K. I was hyper focused and my boss was so pleased. I knew it was my last month. Trading wasn’t my passion anymore. The money was great but it wasn’t the end all be all.

I realized I had an obligation, to myself, to others, and to my legacy.

When the end of the month came it was time to get paid, I got cut a check for $20,000.

I did it. I reached my goal.

Now for the hard part.

I tried to explain to Alex I was leaving. “I found this book, and it spoke to me, and I want to open up a coffee shop and art gallery and music studio, and I want to have 25 cent coffee for the homeless. And I made enough money. I have more than I need.”

Alex was stunned. “How could you leave something like this?” He asked. “You just made 20 grand in a month for yourself. And your going to walk away from that?”

“I have to.” I said. “Thank you for the opportunity but I have to go. I know what I was made for.”

I left as Alex was scratching his head. He was stunned. How could I leave this all behind?

I sat in my car and opened up the book.

“To the world, your decisions may not make sense. As long as the decision makes sense in your heart, go in that direction.”

April 1

I called my friend Vanessa and told her I was opening a coffee shop.

“I want your art on the walls.” I said. “We’ll hang them up and put them up for sale. It will be great.”

“Yesss!” Vanessa said.

"I just signed the lease today, come by and look at it. I’m just past Bally’s, on the boardwalk."

“I’ll be there.” Vanessa said

I had my sisters and brothers at the storefront as well, helping me with the signs and construction. Melody was playing on the piano set up in the corner.

We bought a huge banner, it read, “Universal Coffee Co.”

The coffee pot was on and a medium coffee was only $1, or 25 cents for the homeless.

My brother Max unloaded the truck filled with books from my personal library. Books on all kinds of subjects, from spirituality, to finance, to fiction, to poetry.

Anyone could take a book, or leave a book.

I breathed in the crisp April air. I couldn’t believe I had done it. Well, really, we had done it. My whole family helped, and my friends.

I opened the little black book again.

“When you act on behalf of the highest vision for yourself, everyone wins. Everyone gains, everything.”

I placed the black book on the shelf with the other books. It was time for it to touch someone else’s heart. I knew not to hold onto it. Not to hoard it.

The right person would pick it up. Only the right person would find it.

Just then Vanessa showed up with her art work.

“Vanessa! It looks Amazing.”

“No, Justin Thyme. This place is amazing. Look at all these books, and the guitars, and the coffee, and the piano.”

I watched as her fingers traced the spines of each of the books, coming to a stop at the little black book.

“What is this one about?” She asked.

“Oh, that one. You’ll have to tell me.” I said. “What does it mean for you?”