Original Orient

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Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Growth.

Tag: life

  • Starting My AI Journey: Learning, Failing, and Building Along the Way

    This is the first post in my “Learning AI for Real Results” series, where I document my actual experiences using AI tools to build a business, create content, and hopefully make some money along the way.

    Why I’m Starting This Series

    Here’s the truth: I’m not an AI expert. I’m not a tech guru with years of experience. I’m just someone who’s been experimenting with ChatGPT, tried out DeepAI, dabbled with Google’s tools, used Copilot a bit, and now I’m exploring Claude.

    And honestly? My results so far have been… mixed.

    I’ve created digital products—a couple of 50-page books on mental health and money management based on my personal experiences, some todo lists, and I’m working on monthly affirmation booklets. I’ve listed them on Gumroad, Etsy, and Redbubble.

    Sales so far: Zero.!!!

    But instead of seeing this as failure, I’m viewing it as the perfect opportunity to document a real AI learning journey. Not the glossy “I made $10K in my first month” stories you see everywhere, but the actual, messy, trial-and-error process of figuring this stuff out.

    What You Can Expect From This Series

    I’m going to share everything:

    • The Real Numbers: My actual results, including the failures
    • Tool Comparisons: How ChatGPT compares to Claude, which one works better for different tasks
    • Prompt Evolution: How my prompts improve over time (and the disasters along the way)
    • Behind-the-Scenes: The actual process of using AI to create, market, and sell digital products My Current AI Toolkit

    Right now, I’m working with:

    • ChatGPT (my most used, though it’s been running slow lately)
    • Claude (what I’m exploring now)
    • DeepAI (limited experience)
    • Google’s AI tools (occasional use)
    • Copilot (some experimentation)

    Each one has different strengths, and part of this journey is figuring out which tool works best for what.

    The Personal Touch

    What makes my approach different is that I’m not just creating generic “how to make money” content. My digital products are based on my actual experiences with money management and mental health. They’re not perfect, they’re not written by experts—they’re written by someone who’s figured some things out the hard way and wants to share what actually worked.

    That authenticity is exactly what I’m bringing to this AI journey too.

    What’s Coming Next

    In upcoming posts, I’ll be diving into:

    • Comparing how different AI tools handle the same money-making prompts
    • Real-time experiments with product improvement using AI
    • My attempt to use Claude to finally get some sales on those digital products
    • Honest reviews of which AI tools actually help vs. which ones just sound impressive Join Me on This Journey

    If you’re also trying to figure out how to actually make AI work for you (not just play with it), this series is for you. I’m learning as I go, making mistakes, and sharing everything I discover.

    Because sometimes the best teacher isn’t the expert who’s forgotten what it’s like to struggle—it’s the person just a few steps ahead of you, still figuring it out.

    What’s your experience with AI tools so far? Are you getting real results, or are you in the “still experimenting” phase like me?

    This is the beginning of my documented AI journey. Follow along as I test, fail, learn, and hopefully start making some actual progress. Next post: “Why ChatGPT is Running Slow and How Claude is Stepping Up.”

  • Real vs Real events remastered with A.I

    this is going to be a small post and a random one in the week but i feel like being honest with the viewers i have and the ones i am hopfully going to gain. at the moment I am writing a bunch of blog posts and i am also seeing what the A.I. systems are able to creat and or reword the posts i am working on. so you could say these are remaster by Ai like Chat GPT, Claude, and my other platform i have been using is Windows Copilot AI. i am wondering what do you like the raw ugly and open hearted posts i have been trying to learn and post about or the rewritten A.I. versions?

    I am going to try and schedual them on different days but that is something right now as a beginner is totally out of wack.

    Can you tell what posts were the real ones and the ones rewritten by A.I.? What do you think i should improve on?

  • Part 1: When One Job Isn’t Enough

    A Real-Life Look at Hustle, Gig Work, and Providing for Family

    At 32 years old, I was working full-time — 80+ hours every two weeks — and pulling in around $55,000 a year before taxes. Not a fortune, but we made it work. My wife was the real breadwinner for our household, and she also handled most of the fun stuff for the family — vacations, birthday parties, weekend outings. I was more of the “boring dad,” keeping things steady.

    But then life shifted. My wife was forced to change jobs, and her income was going to be cut. Suddenly, the pressure was on me to carry more of the financial load. I liked my main job — I work as a Sales Loan Associate, writing collateral loans, selling items, and handling cash. (If you haven’t guessed, I work in a pawn shop — one of the oldest professions around.) It’s a job that keeps me on my toes and lets me interact with all types of people and situations.

    But as much as I liked my day job, it wasn’t going to be enough on its own. I’d tried working multiple jobs in the past, and I’d also dipped my toe into the world of gig work — apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and others that send you a 1099 instead of a W-2. These jobs are technically self-employed work, which means you have to do your own taxes and set money aside before it even hits your bank account.

    I’d driven for DoorDash before, but honestly, I wasn’t a fan. The constant fast food runs and drive-thru waits didn’t appeal to me. But now, with my wife placed on medical leave and our household suddenly a one-income family, I was motivated to try again — and this time, I was determined to find something that fit.

    I came across a few new delivery apps I hadn’t used before:

    Amazon Flex Roadie (which I believe is now a FedEx subsidiary)

    The first time I opened Roadie, it was a Friday afternoon around 4 PM. There were two deliveries available — one paying about $11.30, another around $23. Not bad for quick runs at the end of the day.

    But of course, there were requirements. You need a valid driver’s license, a reliable vehicle, and the ability to lift and transport packages. I had all that. But when I checked the Roadie app again over the weekend, there were no deliveries. That’s when I realized Roadie probably follows a more traditional schedule — no weekend runs, likely because it’s connected to FedEx.

    I decided to give it a real shot — check it multiple times a week, get familiar with the app, and see if it could actually help bring in some money. The app was simple to use and walked you through each step, from pickup to delivery. Payment is supposed to land weekly, just like DoorDash.

    At that point, I hadn’t tried too many other gig platforms, but I was motivated. I wanted to see if I could grind away at the bills, save some money, and maybe even build some connections in the process. Gigs aren’t just side hustles — they can be opportunities to learn and grow. That was my hope, anyway.

    But that’s just the beginning of the story.

    Coming next: Part 2 — The Reality of Gig Work

    Why things didn’t go exactly as planned — and what I learned from it.

  • Post 2: From Debt to Keys – Building Credit the K.I.S.S. Way

    Once I got focused, my first real goal was to clean up my credit.

    I had some debts in collections, a few old accounts with bad marks, and only one thing in good standing — my student loans, which I always paid on time.

    To rebuild, I had to get back into debt — smart debt this time.

    Step 1: Secured Credit Card

    I saved up $500 and got a secured credit card through a credit union. That $500 became my credit limit. If I missed a payment, they’d keep the money. So I treated that card with respect. I charged small amounts and paid it off in full every month.

    Step 2: Store Credit Card

    After a few months, I applied for a store card. (Think Amazon, Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret — places where the card only works at that store.) I used it responsibly, paid it down fast, and kept my usage low.

    Those two lines of credit were small steps — but they were the foundation. Once they showed up on my credit report, more offers came in. But here’s where self-control comes in.

    Credit Cards Are Not Free Money

    Credit card companies want you to spend. They make money off your interest. Getting more offers in the mail doesn’t mean you should take them. It just means they see potential to profit off you.

    That’s why I stuck to my K.I.S.S. plan:

    Only use what I need. Pay it off fast. Avoid large balances. Keep the number of cards low.

    Self-control is hard when you see things you want or need, but you’ve got to remind yourself of the bigger goal.

    Milestones Take Time

    Buying a house isn’t easy. Before I could even think about getting a mortgage, I had to fix my credit, stay consistent, and be patient. It took years. I had to plan, budget, and stay disciplined.

    In the end, it paid off. I hit one of the biggest milestones in life — owning my own home — and I did it by keeping things simple and staying focused on what mattered most.

    🧠 Final Thought:

    If you’re starting from behind, just know that it is possible. It might take time. It might feel slow. But with some planning, patience, and a simple mindset, you can get there.

    Keep it simple. Keep it steady. And keep showing up.

  • Spinal Radiculopathy

    Hey I’m back and writing this with now 3 years of medicine and nothing really new. The last time I was writing about this I believe I was starting my new prescription. Naltraxone 5mg is a altered prescription of a larger pill used for alcohol withdrawal. This is a useful medicine the down fall is I have to order from a different state and to have it made is around $90 for 2 months not to bad but I wonder if I could find a compounding pharmacy in town. Now with all the medicine I’m on from Ibuprofen 800mg Tylenol 500mg, Meloxicam 15mg Pregabalin100mg, Nortriptyline 50mg Duloxetine 30mg, this a bit of medicine for a 34 year old I think but back pain, if you know you know.

    Ok so here is the break down Ibuprofen and meloxicam are anti inflammatory, so for swelling and Tylenol is used for pain as well as the nsaids(non steroid anti inflammation) Morton Advil and melexocam are nsaids. Next up Duloxetine or Cymbalta an anxiety and muskeletol symptom relief. Ok now I believe I would not need this medicine if i could just get rid of this pain, if only pain didn’t cause depression and anxiety about pain. Let’s take a look at Nortriptyline (palmor) another form of antidepressant that also shows signs of helping joint pain. Pregabalin or Lyrica considered a control substance for some reason not to sure but I have to present my ID every time I have to pick up. The only reason I think it is controlled is it alters attitude and may cause severe thoughts if stoped or prescription strength drop with out doctor oversight. I’m taking all these so I don’t feel pain as much pain as I normally do. Even on this medicine i still have really bad days and it does not seem like they are helping.

    For a year i was doing two jobs my main day job and I got a second job as a shelf stocker, Someone who wheels the boxes out to the grocery store aisles. Lifting boxes and organizing the shelf’s to make them look good for the next day customers. This job involved a lot of bending standing walking and lifting so to say if I was not active I would say otherwise. The only thing i was lacking was sleep so maybe my body was not getting enough sleep to rest up and feel better as you think. The doctors said to get more active and do physical therapy and that would help. The thing is some of the therapy exorcises would not feel to great or hurt so make it hard to keep going. By doing this second job I ended up loosing weight and hitting my target for weight. Like the Doctors say if you loose weight, Our bmi (body max index) I believe out of date measurement. At around 185 to 190 lbs being very active and trying to be happy. I was still feeling in pain at days and kinda feeling bad since I was in pain and i know my attitude is not the nicest when in pain.

    This is something i have a been trying to get over and get be hind me so i can spend some good quality time with my wife and kids. What is the doctors meaning for Quality of life, as I feel my Quality of life has been in a downward spiral as I’m not able to do as much as I was able to multiple years ago. You know as I am not Able to lift or run not even really play with my grand kids, yes grandkids. Just trying to get work and house work done then trying to tend to kids and play with them, makes it hard when your legs wants to fall off. Or you all of a sudden cant pick them up what do you do what do you say to the doctors without sounding like a pill fiend when all is that you want is to feel normal. Thank you for your interest